By Gregory Smith, Howard University Intelligence Service
WASHINGTON – They’re a mixed bag.
Some are only eligible to vote. Many are not old enough to drink legally, while others are full grown adults graduating
Their hometowns and backgrounds are a microcosm of America and beyond – East Lansing, Michigan; Chesapeake, Virginia; York, Pennsylvania; Ellicott City, Maryland; Pearland, Texas; West Palm Beach, Florida; Memphis.
Four are from Chicago, with a metro population of eight million, and one from Suwanee, Georgia, with just 16,000.
Another is tiny Lugazi in Uganda, whose athletic claim is that his Little League baseball team qualified for the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania in 2012.
Three things drew them to Howard University; First, her love of golf, the money of seven-time NBA all-star Stephen Curry, and finally, to answer a question the sports world has been asking since 2019 when it was revealed that Curry had made $ 6 million over six years donated to Howard for a golf program at a university that had not competed in the sport for nearly 50 years.
Can a seed sown and cultivated over time at a historically black university turn into a full-blown, competitive NCAA Division 1 program in an athletic endeavor that many, even after Tiger Woods, don’t even consider a sport?
So far the answer seems to be yes.
The team has equipment, uniforms, camaraderie, dedication and talent and two golf teams, eight women on one and seven men on the other. So far, they have already achieved victories and a very respectable first-year record in a sports season burdened by the coronavirus pandemic.
In addition, the university raised an additional $ 3 million in July to support the program during their Bison at the Beach Golf Classic in Pebble Beach, California, the number one golf course in the country.
Curry made the commitment after then-Howard student Otis Ferguson IV raised the idea of a Howard golf program while Curry screened a film he was shooting at Howard’s.
To begin the program, the university’s first step was to find an experienced leader who could build a program.
They hired Sam Puryear.
In Michigan State, Puryear became the first African-American head coach in a power five conference. He produced a national championship, a Big Ten championship and two coach of the year.
Prior to Michigan State, Puryear was an assistant coach at Stanford University, an intensive program that gained worldwide attention during Tiger Woods’ tenure.
Puryear said he expected to bring the victorious pedigree to Howard
“My standards are exactly the same,” said Puryear. “We want to find the best student athletes with the resources available to us. Dealing with a champion like Curry could help us build something and pursue the best players. “
Puryear is no stranger to HBCU-Golf. In 1992 he graduated from Tennessee State University, where he was the captain of the golf team. The team was led by Catana Starks, the first woman to coach a men’s golf program at the highest college level.
“We want to build something that no one has seen before,” said Puryear. “HBCU-Golf just keeps getting stronger and better. I don’t feel pressured (by Curry or Howard) to win. All the pressure I have is on myself. “
Howard’s men’s and women’s golf team could be as successful as previous teams he coached, Puryear said, which is why he chose Everett Whiten Jr.
Everett Whiten Jr., a junior with a major in marketing, received a call from Puryear just two days after finding out that Hampton University had suspended its golf program due to budget cuts that caused my COVID-19.
“We had only been home for a few days because of the pandemic when my trainer called and said the program had been cut,” said Whiten of Chesapeake, Virginia.
Whiten played several sports until the age of 12. His father played golf and wanted him to play too, but basketball had his heart. Whitten gave golf a chance in middle school and has no regrets.
Since joining the university’s golf team, Whiten has reached the top 10 at the Georgetown Invitational, the top 15 at the Howard Invitational and won the Towson Invitational.
He attributes much of its success to Puryear.
“Coach Sam is special,” he said. “In Hampton I had a trainer who pulled through the movement. Coach talks to us as if we were one of his children. We’re really building a good culture for the next generation and I’m happy to be a part of it. “
Whiten had the opportunity to play golf with Stephen Curry during a fundraiser for the program.
“He’s a normal guy,” he said. “He came up to me and made a simple conversion, as if he were a Howard student himself. It’s exciting to see that he’s invested in the program and not just financially. “
Puryear said he didn’t have much time to recruit the program after initially taking on the program.
Raquel Simpson, a sophomore political science student from Chicago, said she was engaged at Hampton University but had to look elsewhere after the golf program cut due to the pandemic.
“Coach reached out to my parents because he heard about what was going on in Hampton,” said Simpson.
Simpson did not qualify to enter tournaments this fall.
“I didn’t play as well as I’d hoped,” she said. The regiment that the trainer has for us and the training sessions with our trainer give me the feeling that I am prepared for the spring season. “
To get Simpson on track, she trains three days a week with the athletic trainer.
“Tuesdays we work on the lower body, Wednesdays is the upper body and Thursday is the full body,” she said. “Other days we will likely go to Woodmont Country Club, Argyle Country Club, or Woodmore Country Club to practice real golf.”
Kendall Jackson, who says she has been playing golf since she was six, wanted to be a part of Howards Tee as soon as she heard from Howard upon hearing of NBA all-star Stephen Curry’s $ 6 million donation to a golf program to start.
Puryear said Curry’s financial support for the program attracted him to the job as head coach. Puryear said he has since found that Curry is personally genuinely invested in the program.
“The greatest part is the support Curry shows,” he said. “We talked often. He’s a big supporter of the children and actually wants them to play well. “
Justin Green, a freshman business administration degree, said golf was the main reason he came to Howard. The university wasn’t on his radar until he saw the curry donation, he said.
“My dad’s boyfriend went to school with Trainer Puryear and that’s how we bonded,” said Green. “I finally came to visit and kept sending him my tournament results.”
Green has qualified and played in four of the five tournaments this season. He attributes his early successes to hard work, the coach and his teammates.
“I’m using the donations from Curry as an opportunity,” he said. “We are really blessed because the coach has a lot of experience. He knows how to shape great golfers. “
In two seasons, Puryear let three athletes win a competition.
Kendall Jackson, a freshman finance professional from Pearland, Texas, said she contacted Puryear after learning of Curry’s donation.
Jackson said she has been playing golf since she was six and has always wanted to play at college. In middle school, Jackson started going to the golf course and playing tournaments every day.
“I’ve always wanted to play golf at an HBCU,” she says.
As the only child, Jackson was reluctant to visit Howard because she wanted to stay closer to home.
After speaking to Puryear and meeting some of her teammates, she was sold, she said. Jackson said that all eyes are put on the program with a small amount of pressure.
“I feel a little bit pressured, but it’s more of a responsibility to be good,” she said. “The chemistry between us is right. We live together, have team ties outside of golf and support each other. “
