by Bryan Gibel
Daily Lobo
Alumnus Preston Dennard was a star receiver in the NFL for eight years after graduating, but he couldn't have done it without a mentor, he said.
"I came from a very poor background," he said. "My daddy worked until his last dying day on this earth, but it didn't limit me. I had a mentor, and he's my best friend to this day."
Zest for Excellence in Athletics and Learning, or ZEAL, helps African-American athletes excel on the field and in the classroom, said alumnus Rene Matison, the program's coordinator.
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The program pairs freshman athletes with mentors, most of whom are successful African-American professionals and former athletes, said Matison, a two-time track and field All-American.
"Our mentors have come along that rocky road and have been successful," he said. "We're here to pass on the kind of skills they can carry with them
after sports."
There was a meeting for the program Sunday at the Tow Diehm Athletics Facility.
Seventeen freshmen are participating in the program this year, and most of them aren't from New Mexico, said Scott Carreathers, a mentor in the program and director of African-American Student Services.
The program helps them navigate the difficulties of sports, school and moving to a new city, Carreathers said.
"Specifically for black, male student athletes, it's a very difficult situation in Albuquerque," he said. "It's almost like everything they do is magnified 1,000 times - especially if it's trouble."
ZEAL will also have life-skills seminars to work on time management and conflict resolution, Matison said.
"ZEAL has helped athletes succeed without question," he said. "I've seen grades change, lives change and athletic performance enhanced."
Student Monquel Pegues, a freshman on the basketball team, said being a student athlete isn't easy, but ZEAL helps him balance his responsibilities.
"It's a little bit tough because a lot of coaches expect more of you than in junior college or high school," he said. "The mentors help us with goals and give us something to look forward to. They're helping us to prepare for our future outside of sports."
