A Brotherly Bond: Football players impact greek community, football program together


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Bethany Walter/Staff Photographer Ball State University junior running back Barrington Scott is tackled by CMU freshman defensive back Kavon Frazier on Saturday evening at Kelly Shorts Stadium.

Central Michigan University football players Kavon Frazier, Jonathan Carson, Jordan Fields, Tyree Waller have all been recognized for their performances on Saturdays at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

But the four Chippewas share a second bond – one that impacts the campus and local community through their involvement in multicultural fraternities.

Frazier, Carson, Fields and Waller are members of Phi Beta Sigma, a multicultural fraternity on campus known for its involvement in various social issues. For example, during the group’s philanthropy week, members met with local various police departments as part of a program titled “Police and Public Relations.”

Founded nationally in 1914, Phi Beta Sigma’s CMU chapter was created in 1979.

Frazier and Fields joined in spring of 2014. Carson and Waller joined the following year.

Before Fields and Frazier joined fraternities that were in the Divine Nine of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, they noticed athletes. Specifically football players, had been largely absent from greek orginizations.

“For a while, there hadn’t been any football players joining for a long time,” Frazier said. “Jordan, Louis, and I talked before we crossed. We felt like we had to make a change and impact more people than just the football team.”

Carson, a freshman from Milwaukee, had a glimpse into Greek Life well before he joined.

“On campus I saw (Phi Beta Sigma) doing different activities. During their week they would talk about health, fitness and how to treat people in the community,” Carson said. “Those were things that I was interested in. The way that they carried themselves you could tell that they were about business.”

Part of being in a NPHC organization is being active and involved in the community, the men say.

“We were able to educate people about Phi Beta Sigma and also get out there with the Special Olympics kids and have lunch with them,” Frazier said. “It was a life-changing experience to see all of the people who really appreciated us.”

           

           

 

 

 

 

 

        

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