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Dixwell Shooting Victim Gets Football Scholarship

by Jeremy Lent | Jul 3, 2010 9:03 pm

(2) Comments | Commenting has been closed | E-mail the Author

Posted to: Dixwell

Jeremy Lent Photo Less than a week after a stray bullet struck him in the arm, 11-year-old Joseph Crudup got better news: a chance to play youth football.

At a Saturday morning press conference, the New Haven Family Alliance announced that the New Haven Steelers, a youth football league, is offering a scholarship to Joseph (at right in photo). Joseph was hit in the arm by a stray bullet on Dixwell Avenue last Tuesday.

The $150 scholarship will cover all fees for Joseph to play in the league this coming fall. Prior to the shooting, Joseph had wanted to play for the Steelers, but his mother, Leigha Couthram (at left in photo) couldn’t afford the money.

The press conference was held outside Joseph’s home on Dixwell Avenue, just a block away from Moe’s Market in Newhallville, where the shooting occurred. Couthram, the first to speak, expressed gratitude on behalf of her son, who looked on silently for most of the conference.

Next, Trent Butler (middle in photo), a street outreach worker for the Family Alliance, presented Joseph with a new pair of football cleats donated by Modell’s, along with a new bike courtesy of Walmart. (Joseph’s bike was stolen in the aftermath of the shooting on Tuesday.)

“We’re not going to give up on this young man—or the young men out there breaking the law,” Butler said.

After Butler heard about the shooting last Tuesday, he visited Crudup in the hospital, then dropped by Joseph’‘s home the next day. It was then that Joseph told Butler about his deferred dream of playing for the Steelers. Butler contacted Reggie Lytle, the Steelers’ president, who decided to offer the scholarship.

Lytle, who attended the conference along with several other Steelers officials, expressed hope that Joseph’s arm would heal in time for the beginning of practice in August. If not, Lytle said, Joseph would be welcome to stand on the sidelines and learn the plays until he’s ready to suit up.

In the meantime, Butler arranged for Joseph to work for the New Haven Family Alliance this summer, cleaning up local parks and schools four days a week for a small salary. 
 
Joseph answered two quick questions about his interest in the Steelers (“They’re a good team”) before Couthram took him back into the house. He did have time to give a small smile at the sight of the new bike.

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posted by: Jon Doe on July 3, 2010  10:29pm

This is a great story that the members in the community came out to help this young man out.

posted by: Teacher gal on July 4, 2010  9:37am

So this kid gets shot and someone steals his bike? Too many residents of this community lack character, plain and simple.  These are traits learned at home and too many of our children are not learning them.

Good for walmart and the nh steelers for stepping up. Now this shows good moral character! We need more of this from those who can afford to give.

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