Alcohol can make people do stupid things. I became acutely aware of that in college during the first semester of my freshman year. There was absolutely nothing to do on the weekends, so I routinely got wrecked with a group of friends then hoped for the best. Unfortunately, somebody didn't get the note that college students can become destructive when they're bored. By the time graduation rolled around, I was happy to have escaped college without doing anything crazy while under the influence. The same can't be said for some of my players who have transferred to the 4-year world.
Hickory is about to graduate from college. He transferred to a 4-year after playing one season for me and took full advantage of the opportunity. I still remember the card he sent me after our lone season together. In the card, Hickory expressed his gratitude for the opportunity I gave him to get his life on a different track. Actually, he has sent me several text messages since then to express his gratitude. He even went as far as inviting me to his graduation party.
Hickory played for three additional years and was named a Captain as a senior. Things didn't go so well throughout his final season, unfortunately. After beginning the year as a starter, he finished the season as a bench warmer. Hickory wasn't getting the job done on the court. Once he was pulled from the rotation, his grades dipped drastically. There was even some concern on the part of his Coach that Hickory wouldn't graduate.
Somehow, he pulled things together enough to warrant participating in Commencement. He texted me recently to convey the details of his graduation ceremony and requested that I call him, which was rare. Hickory never asked to talk on the phone. A couple of days later, I received a call from his Coach who had been contacting me about some recruiting matters. I didn't expect Hickory to come up in the conversation.
Coach: Have you heard from Hickory?
Me: Yeh. He sent me a text message the other day asking me to call him. I forgot to call him, though. Why?
Coach: Between you and I, he did something real stupid recently. Maybe he'll tell you himself.
Me: What did he do?
Coach: The other night I got a text from him out of the blue. We ended up texting back and forth for a couple of hours. I was actually surprised he hit me up because he stopped talking to me once his playing time got cut.
Me: What he say?
Coach: You won't believe this. He got real drunk one night and decided to steal from a convenience store.
Me: Are you serious?
Coach: Yeh. He went in the store and snatched a box of Almond Joys and Skittles then ran out.
Me: (laughing hysterically)
Coach: I laughed too. The funny part is he tripped and fell while he was running so he didn't get away with a lot of candy.
Me: Did he get caught?
Coach: Well, not that day but he got caught on the store camera.
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