In Memory of Resiliency

From left: ECU football coach Coach Ruffin McNeill, Dr. Elizabeth Carroll, Derek Blacknall Award recipient Katrina Floyd and Diana Bass, Blacknall's mother. (Submitted photo)

Derek Blacknall played in 50 games for ECU from 2008-11. (ECU Media Relations archive photo)

By Al Myatt
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When former East Carolina defensive back Derek Blacknall was murdered last December and an older brother was charged in his slaying, the College of Human Ecology in which the Greensboro native studied gave some thought to honoring his memory.

"We debated whether to send flowers," Dr. Elizabeth Carroll said. "We'd all had him in classes."

The professors and staff decided on something more enduring.

On Monday during a luncheon, a resiliency award was presented to Katrina Floyd of Greenville in memory of the hard-hitting Blacknall, who was once suspended for a game for an impact deemed too dangerous and violent in a 44-43 win at Southern Miss in 2010.

Carroll saw Blacknall's gentler side on a trip to the Boys and Girls Club in Greenville to address the issue of bullying. Blacknall's major was family community services.

"He was amazing," Dr. Carroll said. "He was so engaged with the children and they were so engaged with him."

The professor said she asked Blacknall later if he had told the youngsters he was a football player at East Carolina.

"He told me, 'Oh no, it would have been all over then,' " she said. "He said then all they would have wanted to talk about was football. He realized that would have gotten him off point in talking about preventing bullying."

ECU football coach Ruffin McNeill was looking forward to the luncheon.

"I'll get to hug his mother and tell her I love her," Ruff said.

McNeill spoke at the luncheon.

Carroll's remarks dealt with qualities Blacknall possessed, that the award in his memory recognizes.

"We want our students to be strong and resilient," she said. "We teach protective skills. Resiliency is a good family skill and a good relationship skill. I gave an example of how Derek lifted weights to be strong and protect himself on the football field.

"Some players have a heart for football and Derek played from the heart. The student that received the award does family life studies from the heart."

A cousin of Blacknall's, Henrietta Bass, coordinated getting Diana Bass, Blacknall's mother, to the luncheon. Also on hand were Blacknall's twin brother, Cedric, and Emanuel Davis, friend and former ECU teammate in the secondary as well as other family members.

The concept of resiliency is taught in family community services.

"It's not so much about the stressful situations you have to deal with but how you respond to them that determines success," Carroll said. "Derek was very resilient and very courageous. ... Mrs. Bass couldn't talk but she was very warm and caring toward the award recipient. She told her to keep up the good work."

Blacknall had been arrested in Greenville in a robbery prior to his death.

"The faculty wanted to honor the good parts of his life," Carroll said.

She said the award won't necessarily be an annual one nor is it a one-time thing.

It will be presented as students in the college demonstrate their resiliency in overcoming adversity.

After the luncheon, Brian O'Hara, who was Blacknall's academic counselor, took the former player's mother and other family members to see Blacknall's picture in the defensive meeting room in the Ward Sports Medicine Building.

"They really enjoyed seeing it," O'Hara said. "It's close to being life size."

The football office provided additional images from Blacknall's playing days for the family.

"It was really nice for that department to put that together," O'Hara said.

Dr. Carroll said everyone walked away feeling good.

"It was a way of honoring a student whose time was cut way too short," she said.

Carroll understandably is proud of graduates Vonta Leach and Rod Coleman, who hold degrees from her department. Both went on to successful careers in the NFL from ECU.

Leach has started the Vonta Leach Foundation, which benefits children in the Lumberton area. Coleman built a large child care center in the Atlanta area, Angel Academy.

"Our athletes have the ability to do great things because of their identity and their education," Dr. Carroll said.

Remembering Rock Roggeman

Coach McNeill went from the luncheon for the award in memory of Blacknall to Ironwood Golf and Country Club for the annual golf tournament in memory of Rock Roggeman. McNeill and some of the football staff played in the event.

The former ECU defensive line coach succumbed to lung cancer in 2010 although he didn't smoke. Proceeds from the golf tournament are earmarked for lung cancer research at the Leo Jenkins Cancer Center in Greenville.

There were morning and afternoon tournaments. The voice of the Pirates, Jeff Charles, spoke at a meal between the two rounds.

"He gave an account of his personal battle," said Mike Steele, an organizer of the fundraiser and former ECU basketball coach. "I don't think a lot of people knew how bad a shape he was in. You wouldn't know it to look at him now. He fought with the same attitude Rock had and fortunately for him, he made it. The tournament had a little more special meaning because of what Jeff shared."

Steele's group, which included Dave Lebo, father of Pirates basketball coach Jeff Lebo, and Bradford Creek pro Mike Cato shot 55, 17-under par, to win the afternoon session.

Plans call for the upcoming issue of The Pirates' Chest magazine, which will be a hard copy edition mailed to qualifying Pirate Club members, to include a story on Charles and his recovery.

Recent digital editions of The Pirates' Chest can be accessed at ecupirateclub.com. Click on ANNUAL GIVING near the top of the page and select Pirates Chest from the drop-down menu.

Less is more for Love

ECU baseball pitching coach Dan Roszel was hesitant to talk about the top end velocity of left-hander Reid Love.

"When he's throwing his hardest, he can hit lower 90s (mph)," Roszel said. "But he tends to leave the ball up when he does that and that's when he gets hit.

"We think he's fine in the upper 80s. He's a better pitcher when he doesn't try to do too much."

Love shut out North Carolina in his last start. Without a midweek game due to exams this week and with junior right-hander Jeff Hoffman shelved for surgery, Love is likely to get the start for the opener of a series at Southern Miss at 7 tonight.