By MATT VAUTOUR
AMHERST — When Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy told the assembled players that there had been some reports of disruption in the dorms, Alfred Adarkwah was surprised, and even more so when he heard his name called.
As he walked to the front of the team’s meeting, the chancellor cracked a smile. There was no trouble. Adarkwah, a junior walk-on receiver from Worcester, was about to be a former walk-on. When Subbaswamy announced Adarkwah was being given a scholarship, his teammates mobbed him.
“I had no idea, but when he started smiling and said I’d earned a scholarship, my whole world changed,” Adarkwah said. “It’s one of the more memorable moments of my life. But I don’t regret the path I took. Walking on to the team has brought character out of me. I love it. It’s something I’m proud of and who I am today.”
Whipple said Adarkwah was very deserving.
“He works his tail off. He’s done a great job in the classroom. He represents everything we do. He’s a team guy. He’s getting better and better,” he said. “It was fun. It was great to share it with the chancellor. The best part of the job is being able to reward guys that really work hard and are team players and represent the ideals of what we want in a student here.”
Adarkwah immediately called home.
“My dad was going to work and my mom was coming out of work,” said Adarkwah, who has a sister in college and a brother headed there next year. “Calling them brought them joy. I’m just glad to have them happy.”
Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage