As the final seconds ticked off in Howard’s 28-13 high school victory victory over Red Bank last Friday night, its first since last Oct. 9, Robyn Carlton stood up in the Reggie White Stadium stands and shouted, “I’m so happy for these kids. I’ve finally seen them win a game.”
The Tigers, their parents and Howard administrators and coaches will tell you Carlton has been helping them win far more important victories than football triumphs for the past five years.
That’s how long it’s been since the CEO of the Lookout Mountain Conservancy started the foundation’s Intern and Leadership Program at the school in hopes of, according to its website: “Using Lookout Mountain as a classroom to teach critical leadership, academic, social and conservation skills.”
That’s how long it’s been since, in the words of Hustlin’ Tigers senior Umar Muhammad, “I quit going down the wrong path. It’s molded me into the person I am today.”
As an eighth-grader, Muhammad was headed down a path to serious self-destruction, arrested on assault charges. Today, despite suffering a possible meniscus injury to his left knee in last week’s win, he’s being recruited by a couple of small colleges for football.