Posted on 06/08/2009 4:30:38 AM PDT by stan_sipple
Two Gaithersburg high school football players made friends with their travel companion on their flight back from Nebraska — not knowing their seatmate was a major Huskers fan.
When they started chatting, Terrence Stephens and Jason Ankrah, star football players at Quince Orchard High School in Gaithersburg, didn’t have a clue they were holding court with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
“I was amazed this guy knew so much about us as football players and as people,” said Stephens. “That was shocking. I felt honored to be known by someone of his caliber. He was just a regular old guy, sitting in coach, which really shocked me.”
By the time the plane landed, the students had figured out who Thomas was, and they promptly told their principal they wanted to invite Thomas to give the keynote speech at their high school graduation.
Of course, Principal Carole Working didn’t exactly think Thomas would take them up on it. But he showed up at the high school last Monday.
Thomas — who otherwise never misses court — skipped a Supreme Court session to speak at the graduation of his travel companions.
“These young men had no idea who I was as I formed my first impression. I was just another stranger to them. They were wonderful ambassadors for your school and for their fellow students,” said Thomas at the Quince Orchard graduation ceremony.
When Stephens and Ankrah arrived on-stage to receive their diplomas, they were both embraced by Justice Thomas.
Ankrah will be playing football for Nebraska next year, but Stephens will be attending Stanford. The justice said he doesn’t have any hard feelings over that.
I hate the media and liberals.
Justice Thomas, rides coach and holds conversations with high school kids about their lives, and does something special for them. Is that the right kind of EMPATHY?
Thanks for sharing this really neat story about my fellow Georgian Justice Clarence Thomas. He is a real person and is not full of himself as most judges seem to be.
What a great story!
And the racist liberals didn’t want this man on the Supreme Court.
Yeah - who would believe Thomas would take time out of clubbing baby seals to do something like that.
(Excuse the sarcasm, please.)
Liberals have to make villains out of people so they can excuse all the good that person does. Every liberal walks around closed minded, eyes blinded, fervently trying to ignore everything that doesn’t fit with their ideological preconceptions.
He spoke to my favorite second born daughter’s second grade class. He is a great man. There are two stories about this. One is my favorite second born daughter wrote him and asked to hear him, the other is that Justice Thomas was related to a young girl at the school.
I know that my daughter wrote to him. I do not know if Justice Thomas was related to anyone there.
At least half her class was black. I was the only parent there. That was a disgrace to the black race.
There was a camera man from the Baltimore Sun. The Baltimore Sun is a bunch of tofu eating green beanies who practice racism every day of the week.
The camera man from the Baltimore Sun was not allowed to take film of Justice Thomas, but I was allowed to videotape. I told the camera man that he could not purchase my film for any amount of money. When I told the camera man that Justice Thomas was a hero, he stated that the people in the black community do not think so.
The media bias and black racism have been around for a long long time.
This story made the rounds on the ESPN website — I was glad to see it. What a great guy. I’m so glad he had an impact on those boys and did so with such humility.
“my favorite second born daughter”
That’s cute — I take it you have a favorite first-born daughter, too?
Apparently not. Obamalamadingdong prefers the superior intellect and empathy of a Hispanic female.....
Somehow I don’t think our “wise Latina” has flown coach in the past 20 years...
“He was just a regular old guy, sitting in coach, which really shocked me.”
So much different from the character of those who would have destroyed him.
IMHO
Reminds me of the old Merle haggard song,
THE ROOTS OF MY RAISING RUNS DEEP
Class always shows.
Smart kids. And huzzah for Justice Thomas, quite the mensch.
Thanks for posting. I really needed a positive article to read today.
Wow, Justice Thomas. Bless him.
The good Justice does these good turns all the time, especially for young people.
not according to her bank statement (sarc)
However, had Stephens chosen to attend Oklahoma then I'm sure Justice Thomas would have given him a piece of his mind.
Or UT Austin!
If it is, bring it on.
Seems like that kind of behaviour used to be the rule, not an execption. Kind of sad.
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