Xplorers players visit Hollywood branch library in Memphis

Published on June 14, 2004 under arenafootball2 (af2)
Memphis Xplorers News Release


MEMPHIS—Memphis Xplorers players LeJuan Edwards, Jermaine Beale and Dehnel Singfield visited the Hollywood Branch of Memphis-Shelby County Public Library on Monday, where they read to children, answered questions and signed autographs.

The players introduced themselves and told where they went to college. They represented a wide sample of American geography: Edwards is from California and attended Texas A&M; Beale hails from Atlanta and went to Tennessee State University; and Singfield is from Baltimore and carries a degree from Buffalo University.

Edwards started the program by reading, "Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon," a story about a tiny little girl with big buck teeth and a voice "that sounds like a bullfrog being choked by a boa constrictor." Her grandmother tells her to stand as tall as she can, smile wide and sing out loud and clear and no one will laugh at her.

When Molly Lou moves to a new town and goes to a new school, one little boy makes fun of her every day for four days. But Molly Lou wows the other students and eventually wins over the boy by using her detractions to her advantage: running under everyone's legs in football and scoring a goal; balancing a row of pennies on her teeth; and making a croak so loud the boy falls on his back.

Beale took over the reading half-way and finished the book. All the children clapped at the end. Then they were given the opportunity to ask questions. The first question was "How did you get your muscles?"

"Push-ups," Singfield said. "We go to the gym three days a week and work out with weights. But you can get muscles by doing pushups."

One child asked if they had won any MVP awards or trophies.

"At the end of the season," Edwards said. "Right now we're just concentrating on winning. It's a team effort."

The players helped all the children try on different pieces of football equipment: shoulder pads, uniform pants, jersey, helmet, with a league-issue football to complete the feel.

"This stuff is heavy," one child said.

Though the players were the official program of the day on the docket, the children were the true entertainment as they politely took turns telling the players what they thought about life. The Xplorers players encouraged them to keep their grades up and stay in school.

"Kids sometimes think a little older than they are," Edwards said. "Many of those kids today were very street smart. You never know what you can say to kids to inspire them. Even if it was just one kid, you never know what you might say to him or her that might make them stay in school and have the desire to make it."

The Xplorers are next at home on Saturday, June 26 against the Tennessee Valley Vipers at 7 p.m. at the DeSoto Civic Center. For more information call 662-342-1755.

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