players. A product of Shaw High School and a four-year starter at the University of North Alabama, Merritt was close to making it to the NFL before tearing his quadriceps dur- ing training camp with the New Orleans Saints in 2007. But he has been a star on and off the field for the Lions. “It feels really good to give back, espe-


cially to an area where I grew up,” Merritt says. “You can get in a lot of trouble around here. Tat’s why I want to stress the impor- tance of an education to these young kids, so they make the right decisions when the time comes.” Having players with outgoing, engag-


ing personalities is important because hockey and indoor football aren’t nec- essarily mainstream games, even in the sports-obsessed South. After games, fans can come on the field—or the ice—to min- gle with the players and feel, if only for a moment, like they are a part of the action. “We want the fans to feel like they


belong, that they’re a part of the team and the game,” Amos says, “because without the fans, we wouldn’t be here.” C


August 2012


Columbus and the Valley


37


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