http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/collegesports/2001883746_alabama20.html
The dream lives for Antoine Pettway By Les Carpenter Seattle Times staff reporter Sherry Brooks tried to be nice, but she had a CPR class to teach after all. And one of her students at the Montgomery, Ala., Red Cross Center kept pleading with her to pull the instructional tapes from the television on Thursday afternoon just so he could watch a basketball game? Well, he would just have to wait. "My son is playing in that game," said Joseph Pettway Jr. So Brooks rearranged her breaks, giving Pettway two chances to watch the grainy images flickering from across the country. The first time, Antoine Pettway's Alabama was beating Southern Illinois by nearly 10 points. The next time, his son was being mobbed by his teammates, the game was just over, the announcers were saying "... and Alabama moves on to play Stanford." "Well, he must have done it again," Joseph said. Forgive Sherry Brooks if she didn't know the story of Antoine Pettway and a dream. How could she possibly understand that the son of the man in her CPR class longed to play basketball at Alabama so much that his father pulled all his money together and paid for a year of college just so his child could walk on the basketball team? Then not only did Antoine make the team, he became its starting point guard, the leader. The one who kept making the most amazing shots, like the last-second basket to win the SEC championship and the three-pointer that beat Georgia. And don't forget the three that sent the game at Arkansas into overtime. And on Thursday afternoon Antoine Pettway, in his senior year, did it again. He did it with the shot Joseph had taught him — a running one-hander that just floated over two Southern Illinois defenders. They used to call it the "runner." "You're a little guy, and if you go inside with the big men, you've got to be able to put a shot over them," Joseph always said. Thursday, his son delivered the NCAA tournament's first fantastic finish as Alabama won 65-64, and Joseph Pettway saw none of it because for once he was thinking ahead. He's the basketball coach and an assistant principal at Keith High School in Orrville, Ala., and the state is demanding that all the teachers become CPR certified by next year. Since coaches are always doing things at the last minute, Joseph thought he would take a training course. This way, he could come back to school and certify other coaches himself. He never figured the classes would conflict with the NCAA tournament. But there he was, Thursday, in the third of four training sessions, watching while Brooks showed them the right way to tip back a head and open breathing passages. He was going to bring a radio with a little earpiece so he could at least listen to the game, but he only had a pair of giant headphones. And he didn't think Brooks would think too kindly of a student sitting in her class wearing a pair of giant headphones. Instead, he suffered. After the game Thursday, Antoine was asked to name the person who had the biggest influence in his life. "My father," he replied. Joseph did everything for the boy. At age 12, Antoine came to live with his father, a one-time junior college basketball player who later graduated from Alabama with a degree in physical education. From the beginning, Joseph could see his son loved the game, shooting baskets for hours on the empty courts. At night, they would stay up for hours at night talking nothing but basketball. When Antoine went to high school, he played for Joseph, first at Keith, then later at Wilcox Central in nearby Alberta when Joseph took the coaching job there. Antoine, despite being just 6 feet, was good and colleges noticed. Jacksonville State, Louisiana Tech, Alabama State and Alabama A&M all offered scholarships. But he wanted Alabama, even if Alabama barely knew he existed. By the time Tide coach Mark Gottfried saw him in a state tournament, Alabama had already filled its scholarships. "You can walk on," Gottfried said, leaving open the chance Antoine could get a full ride the next year. His father frowned. It seemed like such a longshot. Antoine had guarantees from the other schools. Maybe he should take one of those. Then he saw the hope on his child's face. "Sometimes when you get older you forget about the dreams you had," he said. "Sometimes it takes a 17-year-old to remind you of your dreams." Joseph pulled out his checkbook, and the rest is Alabama history. "Those coaches, they measure recruits with tape measures too much, and they never measure the one thing that matters most — their heart," Joseph Pettway said. Finally they measured Antoine Pettway's. The dream lives for one more day. Les Carpenter: 206-464-2280 or [EMAIL PROTECTED] ______________________________________________________ RollTideFan - The University of Alabama Athletics Discussion List "Welcome to RollTideFan! Wear a cup!" To join or leave the list or to make changes to your subscription visit http://listinfo.rolltidefan.net
