Dyer can escape ill glare under Hill’s care

LITTLE ROCK — There seems to be a parallel between Terrell Owens and Michael Dyer.

Obviously, Owens, just cut by the Seattle Seahawks, is at the place in his career to go gently into the night with his head up and a smile on his face.

He has enjoyed the fruits of a great football career and was blessed to be a main attraction on one of the biggest stages in American athletics.

That he still has passion for the game is good, but knowing when to hand off and get out of the way is better.

Dyer has much to prove, both on and off the field. But the former Auburn running back who was the outstanding offensive player in the Tigers’ BCS national championship victory over Oregon may have actually landed in the best place for his future.

There has been much speculation about Dyer’s off the-field issues, and he obviously had problems at Auburn and Arkansas State, but his decision to transfer to tiny Arkansas Baptist College in Little Rock and not play football this season may be bigger than football.

This is about getting his life straight, and there is no better place for that than under the leadership of Dr. Fitz Hill.

Hill, a hard-working, honest man with integrity worked himself up to the head coaching football job at San Jose State.

When the time came for him to leave there he had all sorts of offers, but his heart wasn’t in football as much as it was in making a difference in the lives of young people by giving them a chance at life through an education.

Arkansas Baptist had less than 200 students when Hill accepted the job as school president, and it now has more than 1,500.

Hill is impacting the community, city and state.

Dyer’s uncle, Andre, the positive role model in his life, said, “Michael will be around positive role models everyday. That’s the major reason why we went over to Arkansas Baptist, to be around Dr. Fitzgerald Hill. He’s probably one of the greatest motivators in this state.”

Faith has formed the foundation for Hill’s life. He might have ended up as a pastor, but Hill, a proud graduate of Ouachita Baptist, has picked his own mission field and the college has grown right in the heart of one of the most economically strapped areas of the capital city.

That’s what Andre Dyer wants for his nephew, a personal relationship.

This is Michael Dyer’s golden opportunity to become grounded. To set some roots and not be adrift in the world of athletics, where too often admirers push kids so far up the podium of worship that they lose sight of who they are and where they came from.

Arkansas Baptist, as you would guess by its name, is about spiritual growth as much as it is academics.

Hill knows one of the great cancers of our society is single-parent homes. That’s why he, Donald Northcross and Willie Davis established the O.K. Program, where students are mentored to understand their self-worth.

This could be the most impactful year of Dyer’s life. If he grows and becomes the person his uncle and Hill believe he can be, he may still make it in football, but overall it won’t matter as much.

Owens made more than his share of sensational headlines during a star-studded NFL career. He was wildly talented and knew it. His shenanigans were frowned on from coast to coast.

There was barely room on a bus for Owens and his ego.

Yet, when he was cut, more than likely for the last time, Owens, 38, wasted no time making this post on his Twitter account:

“I’m no longer a Seahawk. I THANK the organization 4 the opportunity, I’m truly blessed beyond belief. My FAITH is intact & will NOT waiver.”

Today, there are some common grounds for Terrell Owens and Michael Dyer.