It takes courage to be honest, to admit to one’s mistakes, and to learn from them. It takes even more courage to talk about these mistakes openly so that others may learn to avoid them.
And that is what we appreciate about Ernie Graham. A Baltimore native, Graham set the single game scoring record at the University of Maryland in 1978 with 44 points in 25 minutes of play. He was named ACC 1st and 2nd team all-tournament in two consecutive years. During his reign, he won an ACC regular season title and played in the NCAA Tournament three of his four years. Graham was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers, but opted to play 13 years of international basketball.
Drugs cut short Graham’s basketball career, but they didn’t stop him. He turned his life around and currently devotes his time and energy touring the Baltimore school system encouraging youth to be drug free. But since he can’t visit every school in the country, he is sharing his story here so that as many young people as possible can learn to make more productive choices:
How do you discuss tough topics, like avoiding drugs, with your kids?