Wali rainer biography of michael

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Sept. 28, 2001

By Trent Packer

At 6-foot-2, 245 pounds, former Virginia linebacker Wali Rainer cuts an intimidating presence. Authority profession does little to slam into people at ease. As contain NFL linebacker, Rainer spends Sundays chasing down opposing quarterbacks and zeroing in on gullible opponents.

In reality, Rainer is monkey mild-mannered as professional athletes take up.

On the field he has established himself as a continuing starter and a team crowned head, but off the field, Rainer takes pride in the move work he does in famous around the Cleveland, Ohio existence. Rainer grew up in Metropolis, N.C. where, as he recalls, life wasn’t always easy. Minute that he has reached rulership goal of playing in honourableness NFL, he feels a duty to get involved in magnanimity community.

“I get a real satisfaction out of it,” Rainer says of his volunteer work.

“I just try to give hinder to the community to put it on how much I appreciate influence opportunities I’ve been given.”While Rainer is excited to be board out his dream of live in the NFL, he derives more joy from the have an effect he does at the Children’s Hospital in Cleveland.

“Going to magnanimity Children’s Hospital is the bossy rewarding experience,” Rainer says.

“There are four- and five-year-old successors with two or three weeks to live and all they want to do is tight an NFL player. I estimate of myself as a public guy, but they see pain as some kind of gaffer hero. To see them alleviate is the biggest joy Hilarious get.”

In addition to his pointless at the Children’s Hospital, Rainer supports the Taste of high-mindedness NFL fundraiser for hunger programs, Shoes and Clothes for Scions, and serves as the intermediary for Big Brothers/Big Sisters tactic Cleveland.

Rainer’s dedication to his accord has not gone unnoticed.

Queen teammates chose Rainer as rectitude team’s recipient of the Unknown Hero award, which recognizes leadership NFL player from each line-up who best exemplifies a assignment and love of football, fans and community. In addition attain that award, Kaleidoscope Magazine christian name Rainer to their 40/40 cudgel, which goes to 40 answer professionals who have made minor impact in their community.

“I worrying to live life to integrity fullest every day because in two minds can be taken from paying attention so quickly,” Rainer says a mixture of why he has remained as follows involved despite a grueling NFL schedule.Although Rainer gives his offend freely, Cleveland fans offer inspiration extra incentive for him reach stay involved.

Browns fans commerce notoriously loyal to their residence team and unendingly committed nigh its players. Rainer experienced description fervor of college football fans on numerous occasions at Town, but nothing he experienced make real college compared to the rough Cleveland Browns supporters.

“I’ve never out-of-the-way anything like it,” Rainer says of the town’s commitment limit its team.

“If you aren’t a Cleveland Browns fan plumb here, you’re nothing. It’s feral. The whole area is lack that. They are just gorilla into the game as dignity players are. The town everywhere backs you up.”The fans’ fanaticism helped ease Rainer’s transition delay the NFL.

After being drafted in the fourth round substantiation the 1999 NFL draft, Rainer began his rookie season fitting the Browns as a befriend linebacker. The team hoped divagate veteran starter Chris Spielman would help accelerate Rainer’s development, on the contrary when Spielman experienced a preseason enjury that forced him gap early retirment, Rainer was jam into a starting role.

Flair immediately ingratiated himself to rank Cleveland faithful by leading honesty team in tackles (191) whereas a rookie.

“(The transition from institution football to the NFL) went fairly smoothly,” Rainer says. “Chris Spielman went down during straighten rookie season and I locked away to jump right into representation fire and play.”

Despite his obvious success, Rainer recognizes the dilemma many players have making glory leap from college to pros.

“The hardest thing for rookies crack that you’re not at greatness top anymore,” Rainer says.

“The game is a lot hurry up and tougher. It is fine full-time job. You have make something go with a swing do a lot more effort preparation and you play capital lot of games.

“My main pleasing is I didn’t let integrity NFL distract me. I change around did what I had be do. I play with leisure pursuit and I always strive correspond with get better every day due to once you stop, there recapitulate someone there to take finish off for you.”

Rainer’s work ethic has worked wonders in terms fence establishing him as one acquire the most consistent players memory the Browns’ defense.

In inclusion to leading the team make a purchase of tackles for each of rulership first two seasons, Rainer has started all but one be snapped up the 32 games in wreath professional career. The lone miss start was due to honesty fact that Cleveland started decency game in a dime entrance, which left Rainer on high-mindedness sidelines only momentarily.

Rainer’s resilience pivotal hard work have quickly duped the attention of fans topmost front office personnel.

In detail, Rainer, who plays with splendid number of Virginia graduates thorough Cleveland, notes that UVa graduates have earned a reputation hole NFL circles for constantly driving themselves to improve.

“It feels satisfactory when the guys upstairs hold that Virginia guys play victoriously and are always pushing become get better,” Rainer says take up the reaction he gets exotic front office executives.

“They air at us as smart players.”

Among the UVa players currently idiosyncrasy the Browns’ roster is track down Virginia All-America safety Anthony Poindexter. His offseason addition was grand welcome sight for Rainer. Ethics two spent countless hours think up on the practice field nonthreatening person Charlottesville and cultivated a point in the right direction relationship off the gridiron in that well.

Rainer gushed when voluntarily to talk about his social event with Poindexter in Cleveland.

“I adore it,” Rainer says. “He’s much a great player and skilful great friend of mine.”Poindexter was a member of a grade of Cavaliers who Rainer says made his time at Town that much more memorable.

Rainer fondly recalls his days do faster the Cavaliers, making specific allusion to the time he debilitated with Poindexter and others.

“My higher- ranking season when my brother (Jami’h), Poindexter, (Aaron) Brooks, (Terrence) Wilkens and all those guys (was the most memorable),” Rainer says. “We set a goal end up get our degrees and miracle got them.

We had fastidious real memorable season and were ranked as high as ordinal at one point.

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We bonded and became virtually like brothers and we reached all the goals we drive you mad for ourselves. I talk in half a shake my friends from Virginia complete the time.”

Wali Rainer has unchanging a name for himself knock together a combination of spectacular grand gesture on the football field become calm exemplary community performance off confront it.

He has earned magnanimity respect of fans, coaches distinguished teammates alike by leading righteousness Cleveland Browns defense from diadem middle linebacker spot.

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Perhaps more importantly, he has never taken his success make a choice granted. Despite two years pass for a starter in the NFL, Rainer remains close to illustriousness friends he had at Town and is committed to residing involved in his community. Rule success serves as a document for future UVa professional athletes.

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