McElrathbey plans on making splash

CLEMSON — Ray Ray McElrathbey says his brother doesn't want to leave Clemson.

Heck, Ray Ray's not too fired up about taking off, either.

But later this summer, the two will leave the place where they became famous and made many friends and fond memories.

"This will always be home," Ray Ray said Monday. "But our time here is over. We've kind of got to move on."

McElrathbey's football career at Clemson didn't work out, so he's transferring to Howard in Washington, D.C. Since the Bison are part of the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA), McElrathbey can play right away. And he's planning on making a big splash at tailback — the splash he never made on the field with the Tigers.

McElrathbey redshirted in 2005, and early in the 2006 season he gained national fame for taking custody of Fahmarr, then 11. Their mother was struggling with a decade-long battle with drug addiction, and the NCAA made McElrathbey an exception to its long-standing rule against extra benefits, allowing him to receive aid in the form of a trust fund set up for Fahmarr. Coaches' families were also allowed to provide daily care that included rides to and from school.

McElrathbey played sparingly that year and missed the 2007 season after blowing out his knee in preseason camp. He gradually fell into disfavor with Clemson's coaching staff, allegedly for being undependable and sporadically showing up for team-related functions.

In March, head coach Tommy Bowden informed McElrathbey he was no longer on the team. Clemson athletic director Terry Don Phillips offered him an opportunity to help pay for graduate school by serving as a graduate assistant in the athletic department, but McElrathbey declined.

McElrathbey said he'll receive his degree in sociology Aug. 9. He says he'll take his last exam today and head to Atlanta to train for a month before moving to Washington in late July.

McElrathbey plans to pursue his master's degree in communications, with hopes of going into television broadcasting. He strongly considered transferring to Jacksonville State in Anniston, Ala., but determined it was too close to his hometown of Atlanta.

McElrathbey said he and Fahmarr will live in an off-campus apartment. He said they'll still be able to take advantage of the trust fund, which surpassed $100,000 thanks to donations from across the country and beyond. He said Fahmarr will receive help from the families of Howard's coaches, plus other connections that have been made recently.

McElrathbey knows the transition could be difficult for Fahmarr, who has grown attached to Clemson. His little brother became perhaps the most famous resident of the small college town in the fall of 2006, when they appeared on television with Oprah Winfrey and were showered with awards and affection.

"Fahmarr doesn't want to leave Clemson," Ray Ray said. "Clemson is his home. He'd rather be in Clemson. But he also understands that our time here is over. … He's accepting that and understanding that."

Reach Larry Williams at lwilliams@postandcourier.com and check out the new Clemson blog at www.charleston.net/blogs/tiger_tracks/>