Rolando McClain: Up, Up, and Away with the Oakland Raiders

It sounds like another movie in the making. The Oakland Raiders' Rolando McClain saw it only one way.

To move above his trials and tribulations of growing up in a complex situation, he moved out by moving up in football.

Thousands of young people have challenges similar to McClain. They were born into certain situations. They are gifted with an innate intelligence to rise above their challenging circumstances. They fight to win. They rise above adversity.

As young people like McClain rise above confusion and poverty, you can be sure that the "bats" of the situation will try to attach themselves to the rising star.

The story seems to take the following stream of thought.

There are those who have the character, intelligence, and energy to work hard and rise above adversity. There are others who attach themselves to a moving star, and they move up because the star is moving up.

It is natural for a young successful NFL player to desire to help his family. It is also a reasonable expectation that if there were problems in the past, either psychological, medical, morally, or otherwise, that this is a good time to seek some help to improve.

Some problems do not disappear just because an NFL player gets money and a good job.

Logically, it makes sense to make arrangements for help for those in Rolando McClain's social circle so that he will not be distracted by the problems of those he loves.

Why is this being discussed? Here is a glimpse of the reason.

In the two-year college, there are so many people who have had family problems, legal problems, medical, and psychological problems. Two-year colleges are often places where students get a second chance.

Some of these people do well in their new lifestyle as aspiring students. But, sometimes those problems creep back into their lives. Here are examples gathered over 21 years of working in a environment designed to help re-build the hope of some people.

1. A man is accepted in college and he is making good grades. His mother has problems and calls him on his cellphone while he is in class. He leaves the class to go and help his troubled mother. He never returns.

2. A woman wants a better life and goes to college. Her mother is troubled and bi-polar, but the woman loves her mother. She let's her mother use her car, and an accident occurs. The woman is distracted. She drops out of school.

The list goes on and on.

So, when I think of Rolando McClain it is so encouraging to see that he has made the right decisions to get to a point where he is now an Oakland Raider with a lot of potential.

Reality speaks loud and clear.

McClain has had the opportunity to move up, up, and away from drug-ridden environments and legal problems. Will those who have been entangled with those problems cling to him, and distract him?

I hope not.

Several questions come to mind. You make the list of questions since my aim is to stimulate a forum on this issue.

As we look toward the future, we hope that McClain continues to be strong, focused and a solid decision-maker for the good of his career, the Oakland Raiders, and, of course, for the good of his circle of friends and family.

Go Raiders! Go Rolando McClain, keep moving up, up, and away, and may the Oakland Raiders move up, up and way, too!

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