By Brent Holloway
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
The Toccoa Record
The group of teenagers surrounding Shaun Alexander Thursday night at the Georgia Baptist Conference Center began to swell.
Some were clammoring for autographs. Others waited patiently for their turn to get their picture taken with the former University of Alabama stand-out and current NFL superstar.
At the center of the crowd, Alexander stood with his powerful right arm draped over the shoulder of a slight youth, quietly imparting his wisdom to the boy who came seeking his advice. After a hug and a handshake the boy departed and up stepped the next young lad. Instead of hurrying through the ever-increasing throng of admirers, Alexander listened to the boy's concerns about his older brother's spiritual life, thoughtfully considered an appropriate scripture to share, and recounted an anecdote explaining why the Bible verse was important to him and how it might benefit the boy's brother.
The approachability and easy, down-to-earth manner of the pro-bowler grabs your attention at least as quickly as his bulging neck muscles.
But even though it would be easy to apply the "role-model" tag to an athlete like Alexander, he shuns such a moniker.
"To be honest with you, I'm not trying to be a role model. Christ is the role model," Alexander said. "All I can do is teach you who my king is. It's like I tell people, I'm not trying to force you to do anything, all I can do is give you the truth. And the truth is, there's only one way, and that's Christ."
That's been Alexander's message ever since college.
By the time he finished his senior season for the Crimson Tide, Alexander held 15 school records, including most career rushing yards (3,565) and most career touchdowns (50).
His status as a first round pick was assured.
But instead of scheming on ways to blow his hefty signing bonus, Alexander was already thinking of giving back.
Before the Seattle Seahawks selected him with the 19th pick of the 2000 draft, before he ever picked up his first endorsement deal or signed his first professional contract, Alexander founded his first non-profit organization.
In January of 2000, immediately after roasting Michigan for 161 yards and three touchdowns in the Orange Bowl, Alexander, then only 22 years old, formed the Shaun Alexander Family Foundation (SAFF). According to the group's Web site, he is the only NFL player known to have organized his own charity organization while still in college.
Through SAFF, Alexander helped establish scholarships for underprivileged children, provided food and gifts to needy families at Christmas, and supported inner city baseball leagues, among other organizations.
SAFF is now defunct, but by no means does that mean Alexander has given up on charity work.
