There’s more to the story of Tony Farmer than we think
We all vaguely remember the story. In August of 2012, Garfield Heights’ high school basketball star Tony Farmer was sentenced to three years in prison after he pled guilty to kidnapping, felonious assault, robbery and intimidating a victim stemming from an altercation the previous April.
Much of the incident was caught on video.
During the trial, his victim (his ex-girlfriend), asked the judge not to sentence Farmer to prison.
“I know he was a good person,” she said. “I hope he still is.”
But that’s not how the world works.
Farmer’s mother explained her son as a young man in love who made a bad decision.
His coach and a pair of former teachers also vouched for him in court.
“If you give him a chance, he’s in good hands,” Coach Johnson told the judge.
“Instead of his massive height,” said Wanderstock, who taught English to the 6-foot-7-inch Farmer, “I see his massive heart.”
The defendant was found guilty and fell to the floor in despair as the reality of the situation sunk in.
I think we all assumed that we’d seen this story before. A young, talented athlete couldn’t control his impulses and that was it. He was done, never to be heard of again. Nothing more than a footnote in an incredibly long list of could-have-beens.
But that wasn’t how Tony Farmer’s story was going to end.
Farmer went to prison and did his time. But instead of falling victim to the trappings of prison, the young man stayed out of trouble and found a way to grow as a person.
A former Top-100 prospect, he was released from prison on June 5 and shortly thereafter signed with Lincoln University.
He spoke to the Tallahassee (Fla.) Democrat about what he’d learned from the experience.
“Honestly, it’s pretty simple,” Farmer told the Democrat when asked what he hoped his talk would accomplish. “Before any action, just really sit down and think – think before you act. Anything can happen. You have to be on your toes and pay attention to your surroundings all the time. Really, learn from my mistake and (from) everyone else who have made a big, crucial mistake in their life.”
This, very clearly, wasn’t the same young man we saw on that video.
Farmer was then denied admission to Lincoln College.
Here’s the statement from Jeff Nelson, Lincoln’s SID:
“Unfortunately, Tony was not admitted into Lincoln College due to an institutional decision based on various factors,” Nelson said via email. “According to head coach Pat Lepper, Tony is at Lee College in Texas.”
Instead, he ended up at Lee College, a community college in Baytown, Texas.
Finally in college, finally given a chance, Farmer excelled.
In his first season at Lee College, Farmer averaged 16.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists a game, while playing alongside a talented group of young men including Malik Anderson, the son of former Orlando Magic wing Nick Anderson.
The group at Lee College have embraced their path, having created a video entitled: “America’s Leest Wanted.”
It’s easy to write off a guy like Farmer and players at a small community college in Texas, but what we have here is something fascinating. It’s a group of extremely talented guys who just need a chance, or in Famer’s case, a second chance.
Expect to hear the names of Tony Farmer, Malik Anderson, Andre Pierce, Andre Edwards, Diing Diing and others at division one schools after their time at Lee is finished.
Until then, just keep an eye on these guys.
This is an exciting group.
