LORMAN &045; Omega Logan almost walked away from football.

It was following his senior year of high school in DeSoto, Texas, and the 5-9 linebacker was looking for a place to continue playing football. Coaches had heard about him, sent him letters and pursued him along with some of his teammates.

But when the height factor was brought up, many coaches wouldn’t bite.

Even Alcorn State head coach Johnny Thomas paid a visit to DeSoto, but it was to scout another recruit on the team. Now with graduation looming and nowhere to go, Logan sent Thomas a letter offering reasons why the tiny historically black college in rural southwest Mississippi should offer a 5-9 linebacker a chance to play.

Four years later, those coaches may be somewhere biting themselves for not giving Alcorn’s defensive dynamo a chance.

&uot;He’s been a warrior since he’s been here,&uot; Thomas said of Logan, who sports a 3.1 GPA and will graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. &uot;The true test of a man’s character is how he behaves and responds during adversity. It’s as if his effort have been one to prove to people that he really deserves to be on the field despite what his size or weight may be.&uot;

It was the big hangup, and coaches like Bob Stoops at Oklahoma and former Texas A&M head coach R.C. Slocum had shown interest at one time. His heart and desire were never questioned, and that remains his biggest strength today heading into his final regular season game Saturday at Jackson State.

But the size and weight were a factor.

Fortunately for Logan, his father, Walter, was raised in Natchez and he still had family in the area. The scholarship money ran out his freshman year, and he was forced to walk on. But that adversity &045; like all the others he’s encountered in his four years with the Braves &045; was merely a stepping stone.

&uot;Coach Thomas has turned into a father figure for me,&uot; Logan said. &uot;I came out of high school, I had adversities. Coming to college, I had adversities. Coach Thomas was the main reason I was able to overcome all those adversities. Coach Thomas has always been there for me. The fact that my college career has been at Alcorn, I think that it was God that sent me there. I could have done a lot of other things with my life.&uot;

Logan has emerged a leader on defense at middle linebacker and a player the others turn to during tough times. The unit missed him at times earlier in the season when he was out with an MCL strain, but his presence has helped a defense play some of its best ball in recent games heading into Saturday’s Capital City Classic.

&uot;I’ve learned a lot from him,&uot; junior linebacker Dwan Wilson said. &uot;He’s been teaching me stuff about the game. I hate to see him go, though. He’s our leader. He’s got the most heart on the team. You can’t take his heart away from him. He can hit you &045; he’s got that low center of gravity.&uot;

It’s the teammates, Logan said, that have helped him get through the tough times while at Alcorn. He’s an inspiration to others who haven’t had the difficulties he’s had, and the one thing he’s learned while at Alcorn is to persevere.

Logan almost walked away from football his junior year.

It was in Birmingham, Ala., last October in a Braves game at Samford when Logan stumbled before making a tackle and hit the Bulldogs’ running back head first. He made the tackle, but he couldn’t get up and get ready for the next play.

He came away without serious injury, but the diagnosis from the doctor wasn’t one he wanted to hear.

&uot;The doctor told me I shouldn’t play any more,&uot; Logan said. &uot;But God told me to see Coach Thomas again, and we decided to get one more MRI. The doctor cleared me, and God healed me all the way that time. It messed me up pretty bad. I couldn’t give my body up like I normally do. But my teammates supported me.&uot;

The initial diagnosis sent Logan into a mild state of depression, and he admitted he stayed away even from practices immediately after. He visited with Thomas, who recommended getting a second opinion.

The second doctor said he was fine, and Logan played in the team’s final game last year against Jackson State.

&uot;Omega is a very religious person,&uot; Thomas said. &uot;He stopped by my office and told me he wouldn’t be able to play any more. He felt he needed to play, and we got a second opinion about his neck. The doctor said he could play. But he had been out four or five weeks. But he’s come back, and now he’s in full force and doing an outstanding job.&uot;

Logan almost walked away from football earlier this year.

Having already experienced the death of both of his grandfathers while at Alcorn, Logan lost his grandmother during the week of the Texas Southern game back on Oct. 18. That Monday she died in Dallas, and it forced him to have to balance the experience with football in a contest that counted in the Southwestern Athletic Conference standings.

He attended the funeral and hopped on a plane bound for Houston to make the game.

&uot;My team was real supportive of me,&uot; Logan said. &uot;My teammates and coaches have really helped me out. My family is in Texas, but I have family at Alcorn and in Natchez. I spend a lot of time with my teammates and coaches. They’re like brothers.&uot;

Now Saturday’s game means so much more for Logan and the Braves, especially with a shot at the SWAC Championship on the line. Last week’s win over Alabama A&M put the Braves in strong contention for the Eastern Division crown &045; they need a win and an Alabama State loss &045; and was one of the most memorable wins for Logan as a Brave.

But, shoot, it’s just more adversity. He’s not walking away from football.

&uot;That 0-11 (season) had to be the worst of my life,&uot; said Logan, who plans to obtain a doctorate in engineering after football. &uot;We have to beat Jackson State. I know there’s no I in team, but they’ve been getting the best of me since I was a freshman. I’m thinking I’ve been playing football since I was eight years old and don’t have anything to show for it. Winning the SWAC Championship or even being able to go to the game would be saying that God has blessed me.&uot;