Unlike the fictional former Regional Manager of Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch, who promised a slew of college scholarships and ultimately delivered only laptop batteries, Jets receiver Braylon Edwards has made good on a vow to provide college tuition to a group of 100 eighth-grade students in Cleveland in 2007.
Edwards promised $1 million in academic scholarship money toward tuition, in exchange for a commit by the students to provide 15 hours annually of community service and to maintain a grade-point average of 2.5 or better.
Via Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, Edwards broke the news on Twitter today.
“As the 2nd most hated man in Clev. & a man of my word,” Edwards said, “today I will honor a promise made to 100 students in Cleveland years ago. The last of my Advance 100 students will graduate from my program and head off to college on scholarships that I will provide them with. Guys enjoy & embrace your new beginnings and remember your promise to me, to reach back & help someone else along the way.”
Edwards has been a polarizing figure, both in Cleveland and in New York. We’ve got a feeling he’ll continue to inspire equal parts love and hatred. For today, however, there are only good things to be said about a man from Michigan who managed to do some good for the Ohio city that embraced him — and eventually rejected him.
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That’s awesome. I hope the students wrote a song for him.
Hey Mr Bray, whatchya gonna do? Whatchya gonna do, make our dreams come true.
YEAH!!! hell of a guy
Does the scholarship require the students to drop their diploma during the graduation ceremony?
Still think the guy’s an asshat, but you gotta give him props on this for doing some good in the world.
Good on him. Nice job, Braylon.
Kudos Braylon
thx for a nice headline Braylon, hey PFT find me some more blurbs like this and MAYBE I won’t drift too far away from the NFL.
Like Scott Fujita said on PFT Live today, we need more stories of this nature, way to go Braylon!
…as braylon was handed the big cartoon check to hand out, it slipped through his hands and he dropped it. JUST SAYIN’
Great gesture. Let’s hope even half of those kids keep their side of the bargain.
In other news, Ichiro Suzuki pledged scholarship money to Japanese students who keep a 3.5 grade point average.
We need more stories like this!
Good for you, Braylon.
And yes, I’d have to imagine Braylon’s a very distant second to Lebron in Cleveland now-a-days….
A man’s true character was displayed here… Poor choices considered, Mr. Edwards should be measured a better person by this commitment to higher education and personal achievement. I applaud you, Man of Michigan!
good thing he didnt pull a ‘scotts tots” on those kids
He should have given them laptop batteries…
I give him props for keeping his promise. Great job Braylon.
However, he thinks an awful lot of himself. I live in NE Ohio and I can tell you that Cleveland fans couldn’t give two craps about this guy. He’s not even in the top 20 most hated. But, like I said, he did a good thing here.
Props to Mr. Edwards for honoring his commitment. Once again, however, he thinks more of himself than others do. He is NOT the 2nd most hated man in Cleveland – at best, he is 3rd, behind *spit* Modell and *hack, hack* LeBron, and that is being generous. The Diva attitude is why you wore out your welcome in Cleveland, a city that desperately wanted to embrace you. We simply could not handle any more of your New York “essence” nor your lil boyfriend. Sashay away, Bray-bray!
Just don’t follow the JETS way, make it to your senior year in college and choke before you graduate.
He’s the second most hated man in Cleveland? Do you think he is putting himself ahead of Lebron or Art Modell? In any case, it’s a great gesture on his part.
i think I just changed my opinion of the man. Good for you Braylon for sticking with your word and helping some kids go to school that would otherwise probably not be able to. You have changed their lives forever, thumbs up to you Sir.
Even if you don’t like the man, you’ve got to respect the gesture.. I like the way he puit it: “Guys enjoy & embrace your new beginnings and remember your promise to me, to reach back & help someone else along the way”.
Speaking from a man who had the pleasure to shake Braylon’s hand once…I’d have to disagree with him on this. The order of hatred would go…
1. LePunk
2. Modell
3. Steelers (Past, Present and Future)
4. Braylon (A. because he’s from Michigan. B. Because he dropped more balls than a professional bowler. C. Because he decided to move his charitable efforts to Michigan when he got mad at how he was being treated in Ohio.
I’m definitely not a fan of the guy, but that was a class move, and should be recognized.
And I’m shocked that you can just “give” to charity. No one told me that was an option. I thought you had to star in some kind of self-serving reality show about yourself on ESPN and try to defend it by “sending” the proceeds to charity.
Don’t hate on Michael Scott. Those batteries were lithium….
The order of hatred would go…
1. LePunk
2. Modell
3. Steelers (Past, Present and Future)
_________
Modell will ALWAYS be #1, my friend. The others aren’t even close.
It’s a shame more people don’t do this kind of thing for college students.
I could have really used some college help!
To have a through understanding of what type of person Braylon edwards is read this first line from his tweet: “As the 2nd most hated man in Clev.
Why did my comment get deleted where all I asked if a 2.5 GPA is really enough of a requirement for getting a scholarship??
Good job, Braylon. Regardless of his other issues which are self inflicted, he has a big heart. He has always had, and probably always will.
I heard the scholarships are only good at the Tool Academy.
Good thing otherwise they would have become Scott’s Tots on the Office.
In all seriousness this is just plain awesome. Gave the kids a goal and made them accountable for themselves and now they will be rewarded. Way to go Edwards. Still doesn’t make up for that whole going to Michigan thing but it is an amazing gesture.
If more people gave back like this the world would be a better place. One person just gave 100 a chance to better themselves.
Braylon >>>>>>>Michael Scott
I fully agree that it’s awesome he did this, but I can’t help but wonder if it’s also an “image improver.” He’s a free agent, and a lot of people think he’s a diva. Better image = mo’ money.
I’m not saying it’s the only reason he did it, because that’s a ton of money for an image improvement. But if I was doing something like that, I wouldn’t broadcast it, I’d just do it because it’s a good thing to do… just saying.
Helo, me nam iz Braylen Edwhads. Pleeze njoyz mi skaloship, u one dayz wil b aable to b az edgicated lik me
From an earlier thread: “Could a fan of the 2012 World Champion Jets please explain why they’d want this bum on the team?”
Well, now you know.
people try to make this guy a villian, but he is just like a lot of young athletes today. He is a good guy,hes made mistakes but he shouldnt be seen as a convict. THats why Cleveland, the Browns, Cavs, Indians and their fans are so bad and probably wont get any better any time soon. Edwards is better than any reciever they have as of now. As was Kam Wimbley who flourished in Oakland. A once proud franchise(the Browns) are now just a punchline.
As a Michigan man, well done Mr. Edwards, well done.
As for most “hated” status in Cleveland, there is one man and one man only that holds that distinction… Mr. Modell
I wonder if the scholarship offer excluded midgets…
As a Browns fan for longer than most of you have been alive (46 yrs), I stand up and applaud you, Mr. Edwards! A class gesture when you made it and a class gesture to follow through on it.
Nice gesture by Braylon Edwards.
I don’t take sports as personally as some fans do.The guy was very young with the Browns, and maybe this is his way to give back to the community in his own way.
Of course, the cynic in me could say it has something to do with his arrest by the NY police or also the fact that he is a free agent. Nice PR moves as it were.
But then again, the owners may come back and say apparently the players don’t need more money since they can afford to just give it away.