The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 88, No. 41, Ed. 1, Monday, February 21, 2000 Page: 2 of 6
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Sunday February 20 2000
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Taylor overcomes
life's obstacles
Chris Smith
Sports Writer
SI
jJife is about obstacles
The avulsion fracture on Jimmy
Sylors right knee is just one more
obstacle he has faced in his life
'But this injury is nothing com-
oared to the others Taylor red-
snirt freshman basketball player
has had to face growing up with-
tut a father
Taylor had to get the things he
rleeded for school and help his
rrtother at home in Snyder
k'The help he received in life came
from God his mother and himself
fiiaylor put his faith in the Lord
and set high goals refusing to
remain in the city limits of Snyder
i He knew the only way out of
! Snyder was basketball
j The 6-5 forward used his talent
jon the court of Moody Coliseum
where he has taken the Lone Star
I Conference by storm and is a
leading candidate for LSC South
Freshman of the Year honors
i However things have not always
ibeen easy for Taylor who had to
jstay with an ex-girlfnend after his
house burned down lost an 18-!year-old
cousin to a shooting
J death and since the age of 13 has
(paid bills at home
"I deserve a chance to make it
'somewhere" Taylor said "I have
been working hard to get here
and the Lord has helped'me If it
iwas not for him 1 would probably
jbe in jail or a boys home "
Taylor said he is inspired to do
better when he sees his team-
! mates from high school sitting at
home with one if not two kids
'doing nothing
j "At least 1 know 1 am trying to
make it" he said "1 hear them
saying '1 could have done this'
jiall of Fame adds five
i Troy Shockley
' Student Reporter
ACU added five members into its
Hall of Fame Saturday
iSr Gary McCaleb vice president
of-the university said the honorees
"represent a great hentage and a
great legacy of ACU athletics over
thfc years "
Yolanda Henry won the NCAA
Division II high jump competition
fopr times from 1984-1987 and is
a wo-tlme national champion in
1990 and 1991.
She is also listed in the Guinness
Book of World Records as the
woman able to jump the highest
distance above her own height
Standing 5 feet 6 inches Henry
has successfully jumped 6 feet 6
inthes
Gamer Roberts sports informa-
tidn director at ACU and another
H4II of Fame inductee said Henry
did not even compete in the high
jump In high school It was not
uqtil she attended ACU that Kitt-
ley encouraged her to enter the
event.
because Coach Kittley saw the
potential that I possessed in the
high jump 1 was able to travel the
world and compete at the highest
levels" Henry said
flrack and field enabled me to be
a "world-class athlete" she said
"fH5 Abilene Christian University
.
f First monthly
m
fiSTi
muMM
!
Wo l k arfw A
High Goals
and I tell them 'why aren't you
doing this? "
Taylor knew he was going to be
something one day and he is not
taking his opportunity for grant-
ed Head Coach Mike Martin saw
Taylor perform in Moody Colise-
um at a summer high school tour-
nament for teams in the Big
Country area
"Coach Martin called me on the
phone and told me he really
wanted me to play" Taylor said "I
visited and played with some of
the players and ACU signed me "
But even when he enrolled at
ACU obstacles still stood in his
way
Taylor had to redshirt last year
until he took the college entrance
exam again and he had to pay for
what financial aid did not pay
"1 was sick to my stomach
because I had to watch from the
stands instead of being out there
playing" he said "I like it though
because I got a chance to see what
college is really like academically
It did not affect me a lot "
Business is all Taylor who leaves
his personal problems off the
hardwood when he is on the
court
Taylor does what he does best -bring
excitement and energy to
the court with his thunderous
dunks and charisma
"Jimmy bnngs a lot of energy to
this team" Martin said "He does
so much on the boards with his
energy He will bring a dunk or
two and inspire his teammates "
"My thing is to keep everything
hype on the court" said Taylor
who compares himself to NBA All-
Stars Latrell Sprewell and Dennis
Rodman "1 know my grandmoth-
er mom my sister and my nieces
taught me life-long lessons and
values my time here at ACU will
always be cherished "
Rodney Fedell a basketball star
in the late 70s was also inducted
Fedell said Willard Tate the head
basketball coach dunng his play-
ing days was one of the most
instrumental people in his life
He said Tate was a coach that
"probably cared more about the
individual than he did the player"
Dan Remsberg is the only Wild-
cat football player to play in two
Super Bowls Remsberg went to
the Super Bowl as a member of the
1986 and 1987 Denver Broncos
losing in both games
Remsberg gave credit to the peo-
ple who supported him through-
out the years upon acceptance of
the award
"Really this is not about Yolanda
or Rodney or me its really about
all those people who make up our
lives and that come together" he
said "And they really make us
who we are So really (this award
is) to honor you guys and what
you've done in our lives "
Roberts the only non-athlete
inducted on Saturday also
received the Lifetime Achievement
Award
Roberts thanked the people who
have helped him become who he
is today and also listed his top 10
sports events dunng his tenure at
Drivers option Program
payment paid by manufacturer
Drivers wantedW)
YwShK RmS$& - ?
Rafael Aguilcra
Jimmy Taylor 22 springs to retrieve the ball for the Wild-
cats in a home game against Angelo State Jan. 29.
are doing good so 1 don worry
about that on the court "
Prior to his season-ending injury
Taylor was averaging 9 7 points
and 7 8 rebounds per game
But there is always room for
improement Taylor said
Taylor will work out with team
members
ACU
He said he felt he didn't desene
the award but that he is proud of
it
Roberts began as a sportswnter
for the Oplimist in the late 1960s
and he eventually became the
sports information director for 25
years
He recounted the numerous
places and events all over the globe
he has had an opportunity to work
at including the Super Bowl the
1AAF World Track and Held
Championships the Olympic
Garpes and World Cup soccer
Ray Hansen a member of the
1950 football team which had the
only undefeated untied season in
ACU history was also honored
Saturday
Hansen said he felt he was "the
luckiest fellow to ever walk on a
football field "
"I loved that crazy game of foot-
ball" Hansen said "I loved my
coaches most of my teammates
and my professors 1 even loved
practice When you come from a
dirt farm in West Texas anything
is better than that "
With his closing remark Hansen
echoed the sentiments of Jack
Benny when he was about to
receive an honor
"1 really don't deserve this honor
but I've got anhntis and I don't
deserve that either"
mates Peter Kiganya and Alex
Aluga whom he said he loes like
brothers this summer
"Next year 1 want to add a jump
shot and a few Vmce Carter
dunks" Taylor said "1 dont want
to label them as this and that -just
Jimmy Taylor"
.A
AGE
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The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 88, No. 41, Ed. 1, Monday, February 21, 2000, newspaper, February 21, 2000; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101644/m1/2/: accessed May 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.