12B
Monday, January 31, 1997
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Kansas vs. Texas Tech: At the game
Geoff Krieger / KANSAN
Nakia Sanford, sophomore center, struggles against Crystal Boyels and Rene Hanebutt, Texas Tech, in last night's game in Allen Field House. The No. 12 Jayhawks beat No. 11 Texas Tech 69-52.
GR Gordon-Ross / KAN$AN
Angie Halbleib, senior guard, drives past Rene Hanebutt of Texas Tech. Halbleib finished the game with 14 points.
Far left: Texas Tech guard Rene Hanebutt tries to make a move toward the basket, even though Kansas forward Shelly Canada is covering her.
Left: Kansas center Koya
Scott defends against Texas
Tech center Crystal Boles.
Above: Angie Halbleib, senior guard, defends against Julie Lake of Texas Tech. The Jayhawks held Texas Tech to 32 percent from the field for the night.
Photos by GR Gordon-Ross / KANSAN
NBA player deserves praise for unselfishness
Michael Jordan isn't afraid of challenges, he lives for them.
Derrick Coleman is scared of challenges. Potential is the one word to describe his pro-basketball career.
describe NBA players, such as Coleman,
never reach their full potential because
they're afraid to make a sacrifice. With
hefty paychecks in the mail, they don't
have to.
Toronto Raptors forward Carlos Rogers has always been willing to make a sacrifice. He sacrificed his multi-million dollar salary and luxurious career in the NBA to save his sister.
Never heard of Rogers? Well, he's a quick, 6-foot-11 rimshaker, with a good game around the basket. He's averaging 10.5 points and 5.8 rebounds this season. He's a former first-round draft pick who is in his third year in the league from Tennessee State.
Although he's no Air Jordan in terms of talent, Roger's story isn't about the
almighty dollar or winning streaks.
Rather, it's about love, life and sacrifice.
After hearing the news that the kidney condition of his sister, Adrienne Rene Rogers, had worsened last Thursday, Carlos Rogers took a leave of absence from the Raptors. He flew from Toronto to Detroit in hope of giving one of his kidneys to her.
COLUMNIST
rogers learned at a Detroit area hospital that he had the closest match to his sister's kidney but that Rene was too weak for a transplant.
Rene died at 3:09 p.m. Jan. 24 after the kidney she received in a previous transplant failed.
Rene, 29, was a student at Wayne State
"He was really going to walk that extra mile," Allen said. "He was willing to risk possibly not playing in the NBA."
Rogers' noble act wasn't out of character. He has faced adversity throughout his life growing up in the inner-city of Detroit.
Allen said Rogers' father had left the family.
Frankie Allen, Tennessee State basketball coach, commended Carlos Rogers.
University in Detroit and had planned to attend medical school.
"He felt like he had to be the person to hold everything together," Allen said about Rogers. "He's not someone whose driven by the money in terms of the greed."
Rogers helps support his mother and 10 siblings. Nearly five years ago, Rogers offered his kidney to his sister. However, Rene wouldn't take it because she didn't want to take a kidney from her family. She received a donor kidney from a cadaver.
"Carlos is really a very sensitive person, family-first guy," Allen said.
However, Rogers cares about more than his family.
received dozens of emails from Allen said that although Rogers was a
He also spends time helping the community.
Rogers helps at Frankie Allen's basketball day camp, and he works with 7 to 14-year-olds every summer at Tennessee State.
caring person deep down, he often was seen as an athlete that ruled the paint on the basketball court.
And that doesn't mean he just gives the kids a 40-minute speech. Allen said Rogers lets the children climb on his shoulders and has pizza and ice cream with the children.
Rogers' story was covered nationally, and I think he showed the public that he handled his most recent obstacle like a pro.
Ontentives athletes make the news for something they shouldn't have done, such
as in the Dennis Rodman incident. But it's nice once in a while to hear a sports story where someone wasn't acting selfish or spoiled. Unfortunately, Rogers couldn't save his sister, but his act to save her was valiant and should be commended.
Professional athletes have challenges and problems outside their sports, and how they handle life's obstacles defines their character.
Although many of us had never heard of Rogers before last week, I think we should respect him for putting his family ahead of his career. I know I do.
In the sports world, many fans look up to Jordan as a role-model, and "want to be like Mike." But I think, "want to be like Carlos" doesn't have a bad ring to it, either.
Rogers has set up a charitable fund in memory of his sister. The fund will encourage kidney research and donations. Donations should be sent to 4Rene, c/o Toronto Raptors Foundation, 20 Bay St., STE. 1702, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5J2N8.
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