Clemson's McElrathbey gets assist in raising brother

Ray Ray McElrathbey is just like every other freshman football player at Clemson. Except he's also raising his 11-year-old brother.

McElrathbey is 19. He asked for and received temporary custody of his younger brother, Fahmarr, because their mom has a drug problem and their dad has a gambling problem. After bouncing between foster homes, Ray Ray and Fahmarr now share an apartment near the Clemson campus.

Last week, when McElrathbey traveled with the team to Boston College, a few of his friends stayed behind to watch over Fahmarr. People throughout Tiger Nation have pledged to help support the two boys, to do whatever it takes to let Ray Ray focus on football and classes and not be constantly worried about how, say, Fahmarr is getting to and from school.

Because the outpouring of support was so overwhelming, just to be safe, Clemson officials petitioned the NCAA, asking them to waive a rule that prohibits athletes from receiving "gifts, cash or other benefits not provided to the general student population."

"Once the NCAA became aware of the circumstances," Kevin Lennon, the NCAA's vice president of membership services, said, "we immediately began working with the Atlantic Coast Conference and Clemson to address this unique situation."

Ahh, the sweet smell of bureaucracy.

"NCAA extra-benefit rules are designed to ensure student-athletes do not receive financial or other benefits that are not readily available to all students," Lennon also told the AP. "If there is a special circumstance, like this case, the institution and conference may seek a waiver."

You know why McElrathbey needed a waiver? So that wives of the coaches can babysit his brother while Ray Ray's at practice or games. So now friends of the football program can make sure his brother gets to and returns from school on time. In other words, seemingly mundane tasks that friends do for friends, always have done for friends, always will do for friends.

The NCAA, as much as it promotes good sportsmanship and teamwork, isn't about making friends, unless by "friends" you mean "money." But this time the governing body actually did something right, or, at the very least, didn't punish others for doing something right.