by Taylor Williams
April 16, 2010 - George Washington Carver. A name associated with peanuts, dietary inventions, and advancement of African American culture. The man himself was a visionary who used unconventional methods of science to achieve a greater good for his country and his people. It's befitting that one of New Orleans' first schools established for African Americans should be named after one of America’s greatest black figures. Carver High School’s year of inception was 1959, during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. Consequently, it has always been a school with students known for proud and devoted representation. In the past, being enrolled at Carver meant that you were part of something much bigger than mere academics- as if the school itself was a living entity epitomizing New Orleans’ black communities and their struggles against oppression. Unfortunately, in the twenty first century, these notions surrounding the school have been dispelled. Due in part to the lack of money from the state and in part from the lack of students retained after Hurricane Katrina, Carver has been struggling to rebuild its once-great legacy for years now. And in Louisiana, there’s no better way to inspire pride in a school than fielding a good football team. Carver was a highly respected gridiron force for decades, from the turbulent ‘60s to the more lackadaisical ‘90s, boasting several NFL players to its pedigree, including former NFL MVP and St. Louis Rams’ running back Marshall Faulk. The program currently rests in the capable hands of another proven local running back, former LSU and Archbishop Shaw star Shyrone Carey. A member of Nick Saban’s 2003 national championship team, Coach Carey returned to his hometown after graduating from LSU to pursue a career in the game and the city that he loves. After playing under Coach Saban, Carey took away some very important and influential lessons to apply to his own coaching career, particularly Saban’s emphasis on representing the school in the best way possible at all times to ensure success on the field.
After a brief stint as offensive coordinator and running backs coach at OP Walker, Carey landed the head coaching job at Carver in 2008, where the concept of proud representation was heavily entrenched. Despite being located on the opposite (East) side of New Orleans from the West Bank where Carey grew up, Carver seemed a perfect fit for him. In just his second season, he took the Rams to an overall .500 record for the first time since Katrina and into the playoffs. Carver had a winning record in their district and narrowly lost that championship game in the waning seconds to Holy Cross, a school whose funding and facilities exceed Carver’s by quite a bit. This turnaround season exceeded everyone’s expectations, making the program goals for this upcoming season even higher. Having lain what they believe to be a very solid foundation, Carver will look to attack incessantly on offense this year. They like to take shots downfield and try to run an even number of run and pass plays, which always keeps defenses guessing. Carver has a lot of young talent on offense, including running back Eugene Brazley and wide receiver Raheem Falkins, both of whom started as true freshmen. These guys are true “students of the game,” who embody explosive athleticism at skill positions. The Rams also like to confuse opposing defenses by running the same plays out of as many as eight or nine formations, which makes their attention to detail and knowledge of the playbook critically important. The attack mentality exists on defense too, spearheaded by upperclassmen Charles McCoy (cornerback) and Hasaan Cousan (linebacker). Coach Carey has his team and his staff thoroughly buying into this philosophy, the result being a pervasive sense of confidence and assurance around campus in the program’s foundation and future prospects. Throw in the added benefit of having some of the school’s best players in recent years now on his coaching staff, and the confidence factor becomes even stronger. And with the players developing their own self confidence, the George Washington Carver Rams enter the 2010 season with the intent of restoring their school’s name and legacy to its retainable, respectable, and rightful status.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
