Great Article About Rice

[50's PONY]

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HoustonChronicle.com -- http://www.HoustonChronicle.com | Section: Sports

Aug. 31, 2004, 1:09AM



Barnes why football has place at Rice
By RICHARD JUSTICE
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle

RICHARD JUSTICE
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He was like almost every other high school hotshot in that he believed he was good enough to play in the NFL.

What made Rice cornerback Raymorris Barnes different was that he decided to prepare for the real world just in case.

He received a bachelor's degree in English last spring and is in graduate school this fall. If no NFL team wants him, he'll begin student teaching sometime next year.

His usual day begins with early-morning weightlifting and ends with night study hall. In between, there are classes and practices.


Model citizen
He's also a pulpit preacher, community volunteer and one of the players Rice coach Ken Hatfield measures others against in terms of citizenship and commitment.

He's not likely to play a down in the NFL but still might be the poster boy for why there ought to be scholarship sports at Rice.

He probably already is.

When Rice officials were debating the future of the program last spring, Barnes gave perhaps the most persuasive endorsement of remaining in Division I during a campus rally.

"When we take the field, we take the field for every student that's in organic chemistry, for every student in engineering or architecture," he said. "We represent the brilliant minds that have to spend times in the labs, working Saturday and Sunday to get their education. We're here to support Rice University as a whole."

He couldn't have attended Rice had it not been for football. He's the product of a middle-class family living near Biloxi, Miss. His mom has taught high school English for 34 years. His father works for the shipbuilding division of Northrop Grumman Corp.

Barnes' 3.7 high school GPA was good enough to get him an academic scholarship to most Mississippi colleges, but when Stanford and Rice showed an interest, he decided to
leave.

He chose Rice when Hatfield and defensive assistant Barney Farrar showed up at a banquet in which he was a state finalist for the Wendy's High School Heisman. They drove back to his home in the Biloxi area and made their sales pitch for Rice.


Hatfield saw potential
He's the prototypical Hatfield recruit.

He was an option quarterback in high school, but because he had speed and playmaking ability, Hatfield gambled he could play other positions.

He has started at different spots in the secondary the last two seasons and will be a starting cornerback when the Owls open their season against the University of Houston on Sunday at Reliant Stadium.

He talks excitedly about getting a second crack at UH's pass-happy offense, but regardless of what happens, his legacy will be in other areas.

"He's probably done as much outside football as anyone we've had," Hatfield said. "He plays with all he has. He gives you everything he has. That's all you can ask."

Football aside, Hatfield believes Rice is better off for having had a student like Raymorris Barnes.

That's the point he wanted to make last spring as some argued that Rice was wasting too much money on trying to play big-time sports. Hatfield thought the Owls players represented Rice well and made the campus more diverse and more interesting.

"Rice is the kind of place where everybody can contribute," he said.

"We bring in people from all walks of life. Every one of them has their own story. Every one of them was not the most highly recruited guy. But they wanted a Rice education. They stayed and persevered."

He mentions senior offensive lineman Cotey-Joe Cswaykus, who was a member of the National Honor Society at Midland and came to Rice because he believed he could play football and baseball.

His mother and father have died since he arrived at Rice. He tore up his ankle one year. Yet he has persevered, gotten better and will start against the Cougars. He'll graduate next spring.

There's sophomore running back Marcus Rucker, who grew up in tough circumstances in Magnolia, Ark., and will back up starter Thomas Lott at left halfback this season.

Hatfield said he knew what kind of kid he was getting because he heard the things his teachers, coaches and counselors said about him. They praised him for his character, his talent and for
his dedication to doing something spectacular with his life.

Get Hatfield started talking about players such as Rucker, and he will barely stop for a breath. There are days when he gets frustrated at Rice's limitations, at the tough academic standards and small crowds. There are days he surely would like to be back at Clemson or Arkansas.

Just as quickly, he thinks of kids like Raymorris Barnes and Cotey-Joe Cswaykus and is reminded why Rice is special.

"I appreciate Rice for what it stands for," Hatfield said. "When academic standards were lowered around the country, Rice didn't budge. It paid a big price by not being competitive, but anywhere you go, Rice University means something.

"If you've got a degree from Rice, people know you've earned your way. If you come to Rice, you're going to have an opportunity of a lifetime and still learn every lesson in the game of football."

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HoustonChronicle.com -- http://www.HoustonChronicle.com | Section: Sports
This article is: http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/2769828

[The PonyGrad]

And, having spoken to a Rice grad a couple of months ago, the program is still up for discussion in a year or two.

[ClassOf81]

Good article. I've heard some friends in Houston raving about that Barnes kid. Not for his football ability, but for what a great guy he is.