Story courtesy of Rob Palardy, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Flag Football executive committee announced the winner of this year's John Micelin “55 Alive” Award and $550 scholarship award, with the honor going to Alexander Green III from the men's basketball team. The award is presented to a graduating senior student-athlete who represents the upstanding qualities that former men's basketball player John Micelin exemplified before his tragic death in 2007.
Green, who led the Lynx men's basketball team to the New England Collegiate Conference semifinals this season by averaging 7.5 points per game, was recognized based on his care for his teammates, sportsmanship, and respect for all of his opponents.
“John Micelin was one of the true, good guys,” said Zach Rocha, head of the Flag Football executive committee. “We all know the type of person he was and Al Green has shown in his time here at Lesley that he embraces all the positive traits that we remember from John. We are proud to present this award to him.”
The foundation of the award began in the spring of 2007 with the inception of the Flag Football club which after its first season of competition had over 80 participants, nearly 10% of the on-campus population. Through league fees, Super Bowl parties, outdoor and indoor concerts, and dances the Flag Football club raised a large amount of excess money.
With over $300 of overflow cash, the executive committee decided to donate the money to either the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism or the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute based the outcome of the All-Star Game that season. John's untimely death, however, inspired the executive committee to use that money in a different way.
The money that year was given to John's mother, to help pay for her son's funeral arrangements. But the following year, the John Micelin “55 Alive” Award was created in keep John's spirit alive and the club raised $550 in honor of his jersey number 55. In that first year of the scholarship in 2008, the recipient was Mark Stevens of the men's basketball team.
Last year, several members of the executive committee were unable to raise the funds for the scholarship due to academic and athletic constraints. The award returned, however, in 2010 and after a one-day flag football tournament in the spring, the executive committee was once again honored to present the John Micelin “55 Alive” Award to Al Green.