Major General Dowd - University of the Cumberlands

student spotlightMore than a Football PlayerIt was sunny and cool: a perfectcombination for any football game. As thegame finished with the Cumberland Patriotsstanding victoriously, a group of tall, strong,muddy offensive lineman quickly shuffled offthe field to the 2010 Mid-South ConferenceChampionship trophy presentation on thefar side of James Taylor II Memorial Stadium.With grunts of enthusiasm, while sweatand tears ran down their faces, the playerscelebrated happily for several minutes,hoisting the trophy over their heads andtaking multiple pictures as MSC champions.It was the picture-perfect site and the mostdesirable way for senior Madison McCalmonto end his college football career.However, McCalmon was nowhereto be found in the dozens of excited men.Instead, he was in the background of mostpictures, embracing his family and friendstightly and thanking God for the manyaccomplishments with which he had beenblessed.Too few student-athletes in today’ssociety look beyond their duties on the fieldand toward their responsibilities off it. As thegame of football has become more focusedon financial success and individual praise, itis refreshing to find a player like McCalmon,a well-rounded athlete who understands theimportance of putting others first. Because ofhis unselfish efforts, McCalmon has receivednational recognition.An offensive lineman and a standoutstudent with a 3.97 GPA, McCalmon“Madison isdoing greatthings with theopportunitieshe has beengiven....”received one of the most prestigious awardsin college football when he was selected tothe 2011 AllState AFCA (American FootballCoaches Association) Good Works Team.Based on not only his efforts on the field butalso on his service to the community, he wasone of only 22 football players chosen thisyear out of 112 students nominated from allNCAA and NAIA divisions.“This award means a whole lot,”McCalmon said. “I am so excited to be ableto represent the school this year.”On campus, McCalmon is a STAR(Student Trained and Read) for an Insightsclass, a freshman orientation program;director of Cumberlands’ FCA (Fellowshipof Christian Athletes); and an academicpeer tutor in the Academic Resource Center(ARC). He is also an active member in thewider Cumberlands’ community, readingto local elementary school students andescorting patients at the nursing home intheir annual beauty pageant.Since the summer of 2005,McCalmon has participated in a mission tripto Ecuador and Jamaica each year. In his firstyear as director of FCA, McCalmon decidedto organize a trip for spring break in 2010,and he and a group of fellow classmatestraveled to Ecuador. The students rebuilt andrepaired churches and spent their spare timeinteracting with the children of the area.“I’m the kind of person who hasto stay busy all the time,” McCalmon saidBy Stephanie Quattrociocchi, ’11smiling. “It may sound cliché, but I definitelytake more out of the experience than I putinto it.”McCalmon finished hisCumberlands football career as part of themost winning team in school history, addingfour Mid-South Conference championshipsto his resume, and he is the second Patriotto be named to the Good Works Team.His former roommate and best friend P.J.Hughes, ’10 was the only NAIA member oflast year’s team.“It’s a tremendous honor thatMadison received this award, and I couldn’tthink of a more deserving individual,” saidHughes. “Madison is doing great things withthe opportunities he has been given and willeasily make an impact.”The AllState AFCA Good WorksTeam, which over the past 19 years has beenawarded to players all over the country, isgiven to those not only actively involvedand committed to working with a charitableorganization or service group and maintaininggood academic standards, but who alsodisplay sincere concern and reliability,while making a favorable impression on theorganization with which they are involved.Each year’s team members travel to NewOrleans, to attend the Sugar Bowl, wherethey are recognized during half-time. Whilein New Orleans, they also perform severalhours of community service to help make lifea little better for someone else.10 • CumberlandToday • Winter 2011