As a two-time all-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) first-team pick, MIAA Most Valuable Player and All-American basketball player Brandon Crawford, alumnus ‘06, made his mark in Albion College’s history. Averaging 22.1 points and 11.3 rebounds in his final season, Crawford set a single-season record with 574 points, solidifying his place in Albion College’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
A Detroit native, Crawford started his collegiate career playing at Oberlin College before transferring to Albion due to increased tuition costs.
When Crawford transferred, he said it was a “semi-culture shock” being in a predominantly white population. However, he added that his athletic achievements may have influenced how he was treated compared to other Black students.
“My experience is going to be different than your typical Albion student,” Crawford said. “From that time, that was the best program in basketball that the college had over its four years, so I guess we were bringing something to the college.”
Crawford added that he noticed if he “got too loud,” it could be a problem.
“I’m a bigger guy, so if I got a little loud or aggressive versus if another white guy got loud, they’d tell me to calm down,” Crawford said.
Current Student-Athlete Experience
Madison Heights junior and wrestler Austin Matheney said people at Albion have made “little comments” regarding his race.
“When you’re Black, you kind of just learn to brush it off and just keep pushing,” Matheney said.
Matheney’s journey into wrestling began when he moved school districts and saw a flyer for the sport. As an avid WWE fan when he was younger, Matheney signed up in hopes of being like the wrestlers he saw on television.
“I thought it was gonna be like WWE, so I brought it home and my parents said I could do it. They were like, ‘yeah, why not?’” Matheney said. “And then it wasn’t WWE, but I ended up liking it, even though I wasn’t good at first.”
After Matheney started wrestling for the national team at the 2022 Junior National Duals, he met Albion College’s wrestling coach, Tom Hall.
“I went on a visit here, and it was just homey,” Matheney said. “I liked it from what I saw, and I’ve liked it ever since.”
Matheney said his experience on campus has been “decent,” and the members of the team are all high-character and take Matheney’s experience to the next level.
”As far as within my team, I think our team is made up of high-character individuals. There’s a wide variety of backgrounds on the team. When we’re together, it’s pretty fun,” Matheney said.
Current Coach’s Experience
Lance Coleman, alumnus ‘91, the director of track and field and cross country and first-ever full-time Black coach at Albion, said that he emphasizes the importance of making his team feel like family for the athletes and fellow coaches.
“It’s a real melting pot,” Coleman said. “They see each other as teammates, friends, family; we want it to be like a family reunion every day at practice.”
Coleman, a former Albion student-athlete in track and field and football, said his student experience was a “good” one.
Coleman added that he feels like coaching allows him to give his student-athletes the same experience.
Coleman’s track coach at Albion was David Egnatuk, who inspired Coleman to start coaching. Since Coleman took over, Albion has finished in MIAA’s top three eight times out of the last 11 seasons.
“I wanted to help him out to make sure the program continued to improve, but also to give student-athletes the same positive experience that I was able to have here,” Coleman said.
Advice for Student-Athletes and the Meaning of Black Excellence
A piece of advice Crawford said he would give to his past self and to current student-athletes is to keep doing what you’re doing and never quit.
“As long as you don’t stop, you’ll always be fine,” Crawford said. “Forward progress, keep moving and keep a positive attitude.”
Matheney said he would advise Black student-athletes to “lead by example.”
“Actions speak louder than words, I was raised that way and raised just to carry myself at a certain standard,” Matheney said.
Coleman’s advice to his athletes is to use their resources, adding that he stresses to student-athletes of color to ask for help when they need it.
”A lot of our student-athletes, in general, of color, I feel like are too prideful, and this is from my own experience, too prideful to go ask for help,” Coleman said.
Crawford said he believes students shouldn’t totally let go of their pride. Crawford defines Black excellence not by scores and statistics, but by having pride in yourself and your culture.
“Black excellence is really just being true to yourself, true to your family or the people that raised you,” Crawford said. “Making yourself proud first, making your family proud and making your community proud.”
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