Tide Hoops and Football Players Experience Puppy Love Friday
10/12/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Becky Hopf, UA Media Relations
TUSCALOOSA ?? When Justin Tubbs rolled out of bed shortly after 7 a.m. Friday morning, he already knew it would be no ordinary day. It was a day he’s been looking forward to for months, the first official day of basketball practice for him and his University of Alabama teammates.
He also knew it was fall break on campus and the last thing he wanted to do on a day off from classes was get up early. Tubbs, an engineering major who was Academic All-Southeastern Conference as a freshman last season, is taking a College of Education class this semester that requires students to get volunteer hours and work around the community. Because of the time demands he faces as a student-athlete, Tubbs and four of his teammates along with a handful of the Crimson Tide’s football players, were spending their only free fall break morning putting in their volunteer hours.
What Tubbs didn’t know was how much he would be affected by the “real-life classroom” where he and his classmates were sent. Used to visiting hospitals or schools or even serving meals at community kitchens as a Tide student-athlete, he said they were all surprised when they learned their assignment for the day was the Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Shelter.
“Now I don’t want to leave,” said Tubbs, a sophomore guard from Trussville who immediately bonded with the people-loving dog he was given to walk. “He doesn’t have a name, but the other guys are calling him ??Tubby’ because that’s my nickname. He reminds me of my dog Zorro, a black Labrador that I used to have as a kid. I loved that dog. He used to sleep with me. I couldn’t wait to see him when I’d get home from school. If I went over to my friends’ houses, he was with me. He went everywhere with me.”
Terry Grant is used to being made a fuss over by Tide fans who recognize the freshman running back from Lumberton, Miss. Having the fuss made by a four-legged friend whose tail is constantly wagging as he looks up at Grant with pure devotion is a whole other feeling.
“It is special,” admits Grant, leaning over to pet the dog as the dog rolls on its back in delight. “I hope by us being here, maybe it’ll call some attention to the shelter, get some people to come over here and adopt some dogs or cats because they really are fun to be around. They need someone to take them home. They’re nice dogs. We’ve been here about two hours walking with them, and it’s been a lot of fun. They just want to be loved, have somebody play with them.”
Classes are designed to teach, and Friday morning’s did just that. Basketball’s freshman guard Senario Hillman said the experience has opened his mind to how many different areas citizens can contribute to in their community.
“When they first told us that’s where we were going, I admit, the first thing I thought was, ??I have to get up early to watch some dogs and walk them?’ And then we got here, and I changed how I was thinking. It’s pretty fun,” said Hillman as he cupped a mixed breed puppy that was only a couple of weeks old in his hands while the puppy wiggled and squirmed to lick Hillman in delight. “Everybody is having a good time, us and the dogs. And it’s making me think about something I might not have thought about before. Some of the animals down here, people have been fighting these dogs. That’s not right. It’s heartbreaking. They have wild cats and stuff here. You’re seeing all kinds of animals. And you realize the animal shelter is a place where the community should get more involved in. They need a lot of people here to help them.”
Grant says the class has opened his eyes as well.
“It’s about volunteering to do things to help people out, stop thinking about yourself and come do things for other people,” said Grant of what he’s taken away from the class so far. “There are a bunch of different places we can go to help people out. I have to admit, when we first heard we were coming here, we weren’t too happy about it, especially because we were having to come so early on our day off. But once we got here, it was a pretty good deal. I’m really enjoying myself and all the other guys are talking about how much they are enjoying it. And I know Justin Tubbs fell in love with one of the dogs he’s got here. It makes you understand the dogs, too. They’re a little hyper and jump around at first, but that’s only because they’ve been inside forever. They just want to go outside and play.
“It’s kind of fun watching all the guys and seeing how they react to the dogs,” said Grant as he smiles and glances over his shoulder while his football teammate, Dora’s Chavis Williams, is smiling and laughing while a large leashed dog races across the lawn, dragging Williams behind him. “They’re running around with the dogs, and it looks like some of the dogs are taking the guys for a run, too. It’s been fun.”
For Justin Knox, a freshman forward on the basketball team, the work is not only rewarding, but he takes on an even stronger sense of pride. He’s from Tuscaloosa.
“It’s a pretty good feeling volunteering and showing a little ??puppy love’ here at the animal shelter,” said the Central High School graduate, laughing at his pun. “One of the reasons why I came to Alabama to play was because I know how active the team is in the community, and it would give me a lot of opportunities to do things in my community. I’m from this community and I want to give back to it. I’m proud to be from here, and I’m proud I can give something back.”
Their visit also made a difference to not only the animals at the shelter but for those who work at the Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Shelter. According to the shelter’s Judy Hill, the shelter takes in about 8,000 animals a year. Some days in the summer, they’ll receive 100 to 120 animals in a single day, though the intake is seasonal.
“I was talking to some of the guys. They want to come back to volunteer,” said Hill. “The only time the animals get a chance to get out of the cage is when volunteers come in. And if we don’t have enough volunteers to walk them, they have to sit in the cage all day because the employees don’t have enough time because we’re so busy cleaning and medicating and all the other things you have to do to take care of them. So this whole thing has been absolutely wonderful for the animals. I’m so pleased that we were asked to be involved with this because it’s a two-fold thing. The animals are really benefitting and I think the guys are benefitted by it, too. We were really taken aback with how good these guys are with the animals, the compassion that they are showing with them. We’ve gotten a lot of different volunteers who come in who have to do class hours, and you can tell when they’re here. I know these guys have class hours they have to do, but you couldn’t tell it with them. The staff was remarking about how nice they are, how interested they are in the animals. Some have even asked about adopting. They’ve asked about coming back and volunteering. It’s been a great experience for the staff. It’s been a great experience all the way around. And the animals are definitely the ones that are benefitting.”
Williams said Friday’s experience makes him miss his own dog, a Rottweiler, who is home with his family in Dora. And it also reminded him of why he is so fond of dogs. “Dogs are great. They just love you and accept you and they’re always glad to see you. They make you feel good,” said Williams.
The group that went to the shelter Friday morning included Tide basketball players Tubbs, Hillman, Knox, Rico Pickett and Yamene Coleman, and football’s Grant, Williams, A.J. Walker, Alex Stadler and Ali Sharrief. Lance Walker, a former Tide golfer who is now an athletics academics program advisor oversaw the visit. “These guys are in a SP class in the College of Education, and a big part of this class is going out and performing community service in Tuscaloosa. These guys picked today to do it because it’s fall break and they’ve given up their fall break morning to volunteer. I think our coaching staffs do a great job of not only developing these guys as players but as students and members of the community. They’re doing a great job out here today. I think it’s important that they come out and put smiles on others’ faces, and that’s what our student-athletes are doing all around the community. We’re really proud of them. They understand the importance.”
And they left with lasting memories. To the shelter staff’s delight, Tubbs, Pickett, Hillman and Knox politely asked if they could stay longer than the required hours and continued playing with the animals.
