Catawba football players defend their college

BATESBURG, S.C. — What will the after-effects be of the out-of-control party on the Catawba College campus Friday night that led to the death of Darris Morris and the shootings of two other athletes?

On Wednesday, while attending the funeral for Morris, Catawba football players — and former players — adamantly defended a school that promotes goodwill and camaraderie.

“The Catawba College that I became a man at is a safe place,” said Dyran Peake, who graduated in 2000 and was an all-South Atlantic Conference defensive back. “People will come to Catawba and see the warmth.”

Right now, the school wants to avoid a black eye and the football players said they are going to do everything they can to defuse any negative thoughts about a college they love.

One large newspaper reported that students were scared. One student was even quoted about transferring out of fear.

“I’m not scared,” said Brad McCrary, who took a bullet in the leg during the Friday night melee. “There’s no reason to be.

“It could happen anywhere. The school is so small that everybody freaks out because stuff like this doesn’t happen at Catawba. But it did.”

Khanis Hubbard, a defensive lineman, said he is trying to understand. how some people might feel.

“But it could happen anywhere,” he said.

T.J. Lawson, who helped McCrary to the hospital, said he wasn’t scared to walk around the scenic campus.

“If somebody dies in a wreck, nobody stops driving, you know?” he said.

Peake, a graduate football assistant at Duke University, said it was hard to comprehend that Livingstone College students were involved in a shooting on their cross-town neighbor’s campus.

“We were friends with a lot of Livingstone people,” he said, “especially the athletes. These guys — nobody knew them. It’s a weird situation.”

Most of the football players, who are taught by the coaching staff to show their faith, are doing just that.

“You look to the man upstairs,” Lawson said. “That’s the best thing to do right now.”

“I’ve learned over the last couple of days, that all you can do is pray,” agreed Hubbard.

Peake was one of several former stars to show for the funeral. D.J. Summers, Mitch Ellis and Michael Robinson were among the large contingent of Catawba faithful.

And they are standing up for their alma mater.

“This should not be a black eye for Catawba,” Peake said. “This was a tragic thing.”

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Contact Ronnie Gallagher at 704-787-4287 or rgallagher@salisburypost.com .