The Student Athlete...

The above photo is of Carlton at Stanfords team banquet in 2007

Carlton William Weatherby aka "Dubb" is the Epitome of the term "Student Athlete. He is not only my lil' bro, he is my best friend. Even though there are about 2,500 miles between us (Stanford CA to Atlanta GA), we still manage to speak constantly and interact as if we live next door to eachother.

I could go on and on telling you about how I watched him grow and develop into the man he is today, but my point for writing this is to show all of you basketball players out there that you can use the sport of basketball to do all kinds of things, and to not let the Basketball use you. I hate it when you see a story that gives the sport a black eye, this one should brighten your day.

He was the typical player growing up, he attended many of the major events on the circuit that most young ballers play in today from Big Time, Nike's Hoop Jamboree, West Coast All-Stars, etc. He was always looking for ways to improve his skills against the best competition possible. Even though he was a late bloomer physically (5'10" 160 lbs as a HS Sr to a 6'1" 180 lbs College Sr) many schools took notice.

One thing you should know is that Carlton turned down numerous college scholarships to attend Stanford. Stanford was his dream school, and though they recruited him lightly he made it known that he would walk-on if need be. He wasn't the tallest, most athletic, or strongest guy out there, but he made the most of his god given ability and was always one of the most determined. He found a way to balance his academics with athletics, and succeeded greatly at both. He is the epitome of the term "Student Athlete"



Carlton went from being a Recruited Walk-On, to a Scholarship Player, to being the Team Captain his senior year at one of the most prestigious colleges in the country, Stanford University. He took full advantage of his athletic scholarship, and graduated with a Degree in Human Biology Pre-Med... He experienced the joy of winning a Pac-10 championship, the joy of playing in the NCAA Tournament, the joy of being on a team ranked #1 in the Nation, and even the low points of breaking his foot and sitting out a whole season, being upset in the NCAA tourney as a #1 seed, and the experience of playing under two different coaches.

Carlton is proof that with determination anything is possible. Not only is he one of the hardest workers I know, on the court, in the classroom, in the weight room, and at home with his family. But he is also one of the most determined, faithful, and loyal as well.

Last year after his college graduation, a story was written on him that was published in media outlets... I normally do not post articles in their entirety but this is a special case.

As you can tell, "Proud" is an understatement of the way I feel about my brother. His accomplishments make everyone who knows him proud to know him. I couldn't begin to explain to you how his successes make me smile, and act as though they are my own. He is the perfect role model for all young ballers out there. If you want to reach out to him for advice on anything, let me know and I will put you in touch.

Please read the article below, and respond with your comments...



Carlton Weatherby
By Eric Freeman

Carlton Weatherby has worn many hats during his career at Stanford. Aftercoming into the program as a walk-on five years ago, Carlton earned ascholarship, overcome a broken foot, and led his teammates as a team captainthis season. One of the most respected Stanford players in recent memory, heis a devoted husband, researcher in medicine, and someone who trulyexemplifies the term "student-athlete."

As a recruited walk-on out of Curtis High School in Tacoma, WA, "Dub" showedup on campus in the fall of 2002 with some reservations about what his rolewould be on the team. Expecting to find a division between walk-ons andscholarship players, he instead found himself embraced like the rest of hisincoming class. "That really set the tone for me with this program, becauseI was always the same as any other player," said Carlton. Being the team'sonly walk-on, though, meant that Carlton had to work extra hard in practicesto improve his game. Going up against players like Chris Hernandez andJulius Barnes, Carlton often found himself struggling to stick with histeammates. "My first year, there were times when I felt really undersizedand overpowered. I didn't know how long I'd be able to stay." With the helpof the coaching staff and an intense work ethic, Carlton improved his gamesteadily. "The coaches helped m! e get through it. I got better and strongerevery day by working extra before and after practices." He also tookadvantage of his summers at home, forgoing the opportunity to play pickupgames and choosing to head to the gym for some marathon drilling sessionswith friends. "I went to the gym and weight room all day, every day."

As a sophomore, Carlton saw just a bit more playing time on Stanford's 30-2Pac-10 Champion team, but in his third year with the Cardinal he picked hisgame up to new levels and impressed new coach Trent Johnson very quickly.With Chris Hernandez out with an ankle injury, Carlton saw more playing timein the preseason. "I wanted to impress the new coach so bad. He told methere would be the possibility to get on scholarship, and that made me work even harder."

Carlton eventually earned that spot in December of 2004, but that newscoincided with an unfortunate injury. While preparing for a road trip toDetroit to play Michigan State on national television, Carlton broke hisfoot, sidelining the point guard for the season. "It was a weirdcoincidence; the day I broke my foot was the same day he told me about myscholarship," he explained. "I was in the locker room with the trainer andhe came in and said the paperwork had gone through."

Ultimately, the scholarship made Carlton work even harder to rehab andreturn stronger than ever. "I felt more pressure to earn it. People outsideof the program look at scholarship and walk-on as a big difference, so withthat tag I felt I had to prove it to other people, too." Returning to thecourt as a now-redshirt junior in the fall of 2005, Carlton showed himselfto be a high-energy defensive player, impressing his coaches and teammateswith his tenacity.

Carlton played this past season with the same kind of energy, locking downsome high-end offensive point guards on several occasions. One of the morememorable moments of Carlton's senior season came in Maples Pavilion againstWashington State when he locked down the surging Derrick Low for a longstretch in the second half, forcing an excellent scorer into a distributingrole. "When I'm going against a faster player-which is most of the guards inthe Pac-10-I know I need to be more aggressive and tough-minded," said Carlton. "If I can be physical I can play with those guys. That's a role Iaccepted and embraced." As a team captain, that style of play helped set thetone for the Cardinal this entire season.

Offensively, Carlton ran the team well on several occasions this year, withsome of his most important contributions coming at the end of the first halfagainst UCLA in Maples. With the team down 17 heading into the last minuteof the half, Carlton acted as a sparkplug and hit a jumper off his ownoffensive rebound to bring the deficit down to a more manageable marginheading into the locker room. With renewed confidence, Stanford blitzed theBruins in the second half to pull off its highest-profile win of the year.

Off the court, Carlton took a step on September 5, 2005 that most of histeammates can only imagine: marriage. Carlton met his wife, Shayla, thesummer after his sophomore year at a large event in Seattle. "She feltperfect from the start," he said. The couple dated long-distance for a yearand a half, deciding to marry with great confidence at a young age. "She'sbeen a great supporter and motivator in everything I do." At the same time,Carlton has quickly learned why Coach Johnson refers to Shayla as Carlton'sboss. "She keeps me in my place." After the wedding, Shayla transferred toSan Jose State, where she is studying to be a teacher. The couple now livesin Sunnyvale approximately halfway between Stanford and San Jose. "We'realready compromising," Carlton joked.

Graduating with a degree in Human Biology, Carlton is on the fast track torealizing his lifelong goal of becoming a doctor. Carlton's parents Charlesand Shauna both work in the health care field as a family physician andnurse practitioner, respectively, so he has always been exposed to themedical field. Outside of the classroom, Carlton has done research with Dr.John Cooke, a leader in medical research dealing with the effects of nitricoxide on improving circulation, at Stanford Hospital for the last two and ahalf years. "We have patients come in, and we run tests on them like on atreadmill or with an EKG," he explained. "It's an especially greatexperience because I'm dealing with patients on the clinical side and alsodoing the lab work." Carlton plans to take the MCATs this spring and willwork in Dr. Cooke's lab again next year, allowing him the opportunity toroot on his teammates next season before heading off ! to medical school.Although Carlton is not sure where medical school will take him, theWeatherbys hope to end up in California or the Seattle area.

Carlton has been a part of some great Stanford teams in his five years withthe program, but he will most miss the behind-the-scenes, spontaneousmoments with his teammates. Carlton fondly remembers winning the "AmericanIdol" competition the team had last season in the hotel after beating OregonState in Corvallis, as he sang R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly" to hold offrunner-up Taj Finger. That moment might not make it into any media guides,but it exemplifies the passion that Carlton brought to this program ineverything that he did. His time on the Cardinal roster might be over, butCarlton will continue to provide a great example for all student-athletes who come to Stanford looking to excel in all aspects of the university.