May 14, 2002
By STEVE BAILEY – Associated Press Writer
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) _ Like many boys growing up in Lexington, DougieAllen loved the Kentucky Wildcats.
He fantasized about being an athlete and wearing the UK Blue andWhite.
As it turned out, he was able to do just that, thanks to an assistfrom a Kentucky sports icon known more for his scoring than his passing.
Allen was one of six inaugural recipients of the Kentucky ExcelIncentive Scholarship, a program developed in 1994 with a $500,000 giftfrom former Wildcat All-American Jamal Mashburn.
“I loved Jamal as a player,” said Allen, a former Kentucky footballplayer who became one of the first two students in the program tograduate on May 4. “But as I watched him play on the court, I neverthought he’d be responsible for my college education.”
Mashburn, who played basketball at UK from 1991-93 and ranks fifthon the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,843 points, made the giftshortly after leaving school early to jump to the NBA.
His pro career has taken him from Dallas to Miami and finally toCharlotte. But Mashburn still hasn’t forgotten his humble childhood onthe playgrounds of New York City.
“To me, it’s all about giving kids a chance,” Mashburn said. “When Iwas growing up, my mom always told me that without basketball I probablywouldn’t get the chance to go to college because it was too expensive.
“There are so many kids out there who need that chance because theydon’t have sports to fall back on to get them an athletic scholarship.”
The program selects eighth-grade students enrolled in the FayetteCounty public school system. Recipients are chosen based on demonstratededucational commitment, satisfactory classroom conduct, recommendationsfrom teachers and counselors, student essays and interviews.
The word incentive in the program’s title is not just for show,either.
Recipients earn a year’s paid tuition at Kentucky for each year ofhigh school they maintain a 2.5 grade-point-average with strong behaviorand attendance records.
“The program is designed to identify students who are doing well butmay run into challenges as they go through high school,” said LaurettaByars, Kentucky’s associate provost for minority affairs. “It’s aboutpotential.
“We want to show these kids some encouragement and get them excitedabout college while trying to help them understand the commitment andfocus needed to get there.”
The idea of a scholarship waiting after high school is enough tomotivate some students who might otherwise make questionable decisionsand narrow their chances, scholarship recipients said.
“The scholarship taught me that I could believe in myself,” saidCassandra Small, who entered the scholarship program in 1996 when shewas in middle school. “I knew if I kept my grades high, the scholarshipwould help make my college dreams come true.”
Allen, who graduated with a degree in nutrition and food science,said the scholarship allowed him to focus on academics and athletics inhigh school.
“When you’re in middle school, you don’t really realize how big athing a college scholarship is,” said Allen, who caught 86 passes for963 yards and five touchdowns in four seasons with Kentucky’s footballteam. “But the further you get in high school, the more you understandwhat a blessing it is.
“The scholarship was a sure way for me to go to college. That took alot of pressure off of me and let me direct all of my energy toward myclasses and football.”
According to Byars, there are 25 students currently in the program,either at Kentucky or in high school working toward that goal.
Allen and Taquoya Owens – another nutrition and food science major -were the first two graduates of the six-member inaugural class of 1994.Two of the students in the first group did not graduate high school, onewent to military school and the other is still at UK working towardgraduation.
“We know going in, because of the way we select these students, thatsome of them may never make it to college,” Byars said. “But that’s theway Jamal wanted it.
“There are serious problems and distractions kids contend withduring their high school years. For Jamal to recognize that and want togo to the trouble to help these kids as a 20-year-old kid himself … hewas just mature beyond his years.”
Mashburn said he believes college is a crucial resource in preparingyoung people for life as an adult.
“It’s not just about books and a degree, or about the crowd andathletics like it was for me,” he said. “It’s about living on your own,paying bills, staying on a budget and making new relationships.
“So many people never get the opportunity to experience that, so Icreated this fund to try to help them. I’ve also done this for somefriends and cousins because college is so important. Everyone deserves achance.”
Allen may have had that chance, even without Mashburn’s help.? Although he continued as a member of the program throughout highschool and college, he never used any of the scholarship money becauseof an athletic scholarship.
That money will still be available to Allen, however, if he laterchooses to go to graduate school. He recently signed a free agentcontract with the Indianapolis Colts, so any future educationalopportunities are on hold _ for now.
“But it’s comforting to know that that option is there if I needit,” he said. “The reality is, I may not make it in football. If not,the program has given me something to fall back on.
“Maybe I’ll go back to school and then someday open up my ownrestaurant in Lexington _ a good old barbecue place where everything iscooked on the grill. Maybe I’ll even call it Jamal’s.”
