The Washington Informer
Friendship Collegiate Academy Public Charter School students prep for gridiron
By John E. DeFreitas
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Parents, family, friends and a few professional pigskin lovers filed through the doors of the Friendship Collegiate Academy Public Charter School auditorium in Northeast recently to honor a group of young college-bound athletes.
Ten seniors who attend the college preparatory high school in Ward 7 made decisions to sign their names on the dotted line during the National Football Signing Day ceremony Wed., Feb. 3. Students and faculty also showed up for the auspicious occasion – the first day that high school players can officially commit to a collegiate program. The event was the second ceremony of its kind in the school’s history.
The football players – the young men of the hour – had committed to play for seven different colleges and universities, including Villanova University – the defending NCAA Division 1 Football Championship Subdivision national champions. Nine of the young men played in the December 2009 D.C. All-Star Game.
“I’m proud of their perseverance. A lot of the kids have a lot of obstacles – but they decided to commit themselves to being student-athletes. If you commit yourself to something positive, good things happen,” said Knights head coach Aazaar Rahim.
The players dressed in suits and ties, thanked their parents, coaches and teammates for their unwavering support over the years.
Knights starting quarterback Chris Griggs received a full scholarship to ply for the Bowie State Bulldogs in Bowie, Md. He attributes his success to his sister, Candice Jeffery, a freshman who attends Widener University in Chester, Pa. A big fan of Redskins’ QB Jason Campbell, Griggs was all smiles during the 2 ½ hour ceremony. Chris said that along with his sister, his father Donald Griggs, a coach at Howard University in Northwest, played a major role in his success. His dad, he said, urged him to attend Friendship Collegiate Academy Public Charter School.
Sherae Smith, a friend of Griggs, snapped one picture after another during the ceremony. She described Griggs a being charismatic. Further, she said that there’s no doubt that he will excel both on the field and in college.
“Chris is very warm, definitely a people person and intelligent. He’s really focused for his age,” she said.
Along with family and friends, some special guests who are intimately familiar with the gridiron showed up for the afternoon event: former Redskin players Raleigh McKenzie, Ravin Caldwell and Ted Vactor all provided a few words of encouragement to the group.
McKenzie, the former Redskin and offensive guard from 1985 until the early 1990s congratulated the players for their achievement both on and off the field. His teammate, Caldwell, a linebacker from 1987 until 1992, told the players that their journey was about to begin and it started with schoolwork and then football. And Vactor, a cornerback with the Skins from 1969 until 1973, and later with the Chicago Bears, said that education is the best game that they could play if they wanted to have a future.