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.