Who would've thought it would take an NBA player to bring golf back to students.
Howard University Junior Otis Ferguson created his own moment to get in Stephen Curry's ear when he visited the campus for an Emanuel screening. As the Warrior was surrounded by vying fans, Otis yelled, "Hey, Steph! Let's get in a round of golf before you leave," based on what he told The Washington Post. Knowing how much Curry enjoys the greenery, it was an obvious ear-perker. An exchange of information led to Ferguson sharing the fact that he gave up an offer to play golf in college so he could attend Howard. Seeing as the HBCU hasn't had a golf team since the 70s, it was a major sacrifice that resonated with the NBA All-Star.
“To hear somebody as passionate about the game as I was, all the while still pursuing their education at Howard...impacted me.”
The college student took the initiative by starting up a golf club on campus and stayed in contact with Curry about tournaments, sponsorships, and other details that would play a role in making it an official school team. Once the basketball season ended, Steph's management reps reached out to Howard officials to finally make the idea a hole-in-one.
Otis admitted about when he got the call, “I don’t know how to describe how I felt when I realized the power of that moment. I was pretty much speechless.”
The current plan is to hire a coach and recruit athletes in about a year. There is hope to practice on a course named after Howard Law School's first dean, John Mercer Langston. Over a six year span, a seven-figure donation is expected to be made by Stephen in order to help the group become independent.
“No matter where you come from or what socioeconomic background you had, we all were that kid once upon a time that was just excited about finding out who they were as a person through athletics.”
Photo: Getty