Florida State product donates $50K to
B-CC
April 6, 2006
(DAYTONA
BEACH, Fla.) Baltimore
Ravens defensive back Samari Rolle didn’t play a down
of football for Bethune-Cookman College, but there’s
still a strong connection between the Historically Black
College and the NFL star.
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Samari Rolle |
Rolle’s mother, Alicia Leggett Rolle, is a 1971 graduate
of Bethune-Cookman College. Not to mention the fact that
his aunt (Donna Leggett Kidd) and uncle (Julius Kidd), were Miss
B-CC and the President of the Student Government Association in
1969. Over 20 of his cousins, including current B-CC
Director of Athletics Lynn Thompson, have graduated from Bethune-Cookman
College as well.
Even though Rolle played his collegiate football for Florida
State University in Tallahassee—almost a four hour drive
from the Daytona Beach home of Bethune-Cookman College, Rolle
is a frequent visitor to the Walt Disney World Florida
Classic football game between Bethune-Cookman and Florida
A&M University, despite it regularly being held on the
same day as the intrastate football contest between Florida
State and the University of Florida.
Rolle further strengthened his connection to Bethune-Cookman
College earlier this week with a generous $50,000 contribution
to the Football Training Center initiative to build and maintain
a state-of-the-art home for the Wildcats football program.
The eighth-year National Football League veteran will also
serve as an ambassador for the initiative, which has a goal
of raising $13 million.
“It’s a great project and I’m thrilled to
be a part of it,’’ Rolle acknowledged. “Bethune-Cookman
has always been a part of my life, and I hope I can help out.”
A 2000 Pro Bowl performer, Samari Rolle spent seven years
with the NFL’s Tennessee Titans, registering 23 interceptions. To
date, he has played in over 100 games, including an appearance
in Super Bowl XXXIV.
“There’s always been some great football played
at B-CC,’’ Rolle admitted. “Just because
you’re not at a Florida or a Florida State – well,
maybe Florida State – doesn’t mean you can’t
play at the next level. I played with Steve McNair when
I was with the [Tennessee] Titans and he came from a small
school (Alcorn State). Look at what [former B-CC star]
Rashean Mathis is doing with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“This project is all about giving football players the
necessary environment to be successful both on the field … and
in the classroom, and I’m all about that.”
The Football Training Center will include locker rooms and
showers, a weight room, coaches' offices, meeting and film
rooms and a reception area featuring a B-CC Football Hall of
Fame. The 19,000 square-foot football building will serve
the football program's approximately 90 student-athletes, 25
coaches and support staff, as well approximately 600-700 young
student-athletes throughout Florida participating in the National
Youth Sports Program (NYSP) and summer camps hosted by
Bethune-Cookman each year.
“Samari will be a big addition to our initiative,’’ stated
B-CC Director of Athletics, Lynn Thompson. “He
will open new doors for our efforts.
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