Monday, January 17, 2011
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Tray Waite
WARREN
Tray Waite’s nomination for the high school football Rudy Awards is fueled by online votes from supporters.
Some of those individuals posted comments on the Rudy Awards webpage.
They include:
“Please support this Raider.”
“Take a minute and vote for this athlete from Warren, Ohio.”
“Tray has triumphed over all the tragedy he has experienced in his short life to become an amazing young adult. He should be an inspiration to young and old alike.”
And, finally: “Good luck, Tray.”
Luck is one thing Tray didn’t have in his early years, which were filled with misfortune.
Through the hardship, Waite maintained strong character and didn’t stray.
For Waite, who was a junior football player at Warren Harding last fall, the service award — to be presented Tuesday night — would be payoff for a journey through survival.
Waite is one of 12 national finalists for the “High School Rudy Awards,” which recognize students who inspire the community on and off the field — those players who best define what Dan “Rudy” Ruettiger refers to as the “The Four C’s”: character, courage, contribution and commitment.
The winner will receive a $10,000 academic scholarship to a college of his choice. Two runners-up and a fan favorite will each receive a $5,000 scholarship.
He is the only athlete from Ohio up for the prestigious national scholarship. The program was started by Ruettiger, who was an inspirational member of the Notre Dame football team and the subject of the film, “Rudy.”
Waite, who was nominated by his aunt and guardian, Sonja Thompson, lost his mother in a car crash when he was 4-years-old. His grandmother, who took care of him, died of cancer a few years later and his father is incarcerated.
Dealing with the burden has evoked admiration and, thus, support from those who put a premium on values.
“He’s a good kid who makes good decisions and kids who do that have good outcomes,” Harding football coach D.J. Dota said. “He has done that his whole life.”
Waite’s grade-point-average of 3.8 carries as much weight as his 11.0-yard average did as Harding’s punt returner in 2010.
Defensively, the 5-10, 165-pounder played in most nickel situations.
“Because so many teams we faced had the single-back stuff, we’d use the nickel package,” Dota said. “Some weeks he started at cornerback because of injuries or discipline. Tray understood his role and played it well.”
Waite also played on every special teams unit and, offensively, he was a backup wide receiver, filling in for one of four seniors.
The Raiders will rely on him as a receiver, defensive back and punt returner as a senior.
“He’ll probably be our top guy coming back wherever needed on defense and he’ll be a starter in the secondary for sure,” Dota said. “I’d be shocked if he wasn’t.”
How has the 17-year-old made it this far?
“God’s been watching over me and keeping my head on straight,” Waite said of guidance that is, in part, rooted in faith and strengthened by work hard.
“My father went to a correctional facility, so I didn’t want to go down that road. If I do the right things, I’ll be successful. I try to stay focused.”
After his mother died, he was raised by his maternal grandmother for four years, then stayed with his father a year or so before living with his grandmother on his father’s side for another couple years.
Waite, who is also on Harding’s basketball team, is honored to be considered for the Rudy Awards because it’s a reflection of his hard work.
“I guess I’m being rewarded for the work I’ve done and being able to maintain my grades,” he said.