FightOnState.com: Holiday Column:
“In his first opinion piece for Fight On State, editor and co-publisher Mark Brennan catches up with Jamaal Tate, the Nittany Lion basketball player who overcame alcohol dependency issues to rejoin the program.
“Ah, New Year’s Eve. A time to reflect on the year that was. A time to project to the year that will be. A time to share a few drinks and celebrate the holiday.
And the perfect time to honor one of the least likely – yet most effective – role models at Penn State.
“He is 22 years old, ancient compared to the other athletes on the Nittany Lion basketball team. He carries too much weight, too many tattoos and not enough hair. Hell, he doesn’t even play ball anymore.
” ‘To make myself feel better, I say my metabolism slowed down,’ he explained with a smile when asked about his thick build. ‘I’m 50 pounds heavier than the last time I played.’
“And he’s an alcoholic, albeit of the recovering variety.
“Meet Jamaal Tate, perhaps the most important member of Coach Ed DeChellis’ program. This even though he surrendered his roster spot recently to focus on graduating (in August) while keeping his disease in check. “