The Deacs' Noel
12/5/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
This article was originally published in the Nov. 22 edition of Kickoff, the official gameday magazine of Wake Forest football.
By Stacy Hicklin
Just minutes into Wake Forest's sixth game of the season, Merrill Noel snatched the ball out of the air, clutched it against his side and darted down the field.
He was living out his childhood dream of coming up with an interception at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee -- with one big difference. When he dreamt of that moment, he was wearing the home maroon and gold of Florida State instead of the black and gold of Wake Forest.
Noel had always pictured himself playing for the Seminoles and came close to doing just that before his mom convinced him to take a closer look at his decision.
After receiving an offer from Florida State, Noel immediately verbally committed to the Seminoles. That did not sit well with his mom, Frantoria Green, who reminded her son it wasn't a decision based solely on football.
Noel and his mom compromised to visit three schools and keep an open mind. Wake Forest was on that list. After spending a weekend investigating all that Wake Forest had to offer academically, Green was convinced Wake Forest was the place for her son.
"I wanted to make sure whatever school he went to, he would get the best education," Green said. "And I wanted to make sure he left college with a degree. Once I saw the graduation rate at Wake Forest, I was sold."
On signing day, Noel shocked many in the audience by spurning the Seminoles and picking up the Wake Forest hat.
"At the beginning, I was thinking mostly about football and what I could do from that standpoint, but [my mom] was thinking ahead and in the broader standpoint of my education," Noel said. "Thank God my mom opened my mind."
Role Model
Green raised Noel and his two younger siblings as a single mother. She worked for 13 years, mostly answering phones as a licensed practical nurse, but by the time Noel was in high school she decided to follow her dream of going back to school to become a registered nurse.
Just a few months before graduating from high school, Noel watched his mom graduate from college. Seeing her dedication to education and her passion for school made a lasting imprint on his view of his collegiate opportunity.
"Knowing where I come from and seeing my grandma and my mom struggle and still make it, was all the motivation I needed," Noel said. "Even though I am doing this for myself, this opportunity is way bigger than me."
Fighting Adversity
Noel grew up in south Florida in a group of rural towns in the western part of Palm Beach County lovingly referred to by its residents as "the Muck." He lived in Belle Glade, which is made up of less than 20,000 people, but actually attended school in neighboring Pahokee, a town of less than 8,000.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 13.3 percent of residents in Belle Glade have a bachelor degree or higher. The median household income is below $29,000 and 35.1 percent of residents live below the poverty level.
Life is not considered easy in the Muck where the high crime rate is always an issue.
"Nothing is promised where I come from but failure," Noel said. "No one is expected to make it out of Pahokee or Belle Glade."
"When I first came to Wake Forest, it was tough to adapt to this environment. At first I was so terrified. Everyone would use all these big words that I would have to Google before I could use them."
Noel was forced to overcome a speech impediment that made him hesitant about participating in class and had to learn how to really study for the first time in his life. He began to work ahead in classes, asked for help when he felt overwhelmed and became a regular in the tutoring offices and writing center.
Of all his accomplishments at Wake Forest, perhaps the one he is most of proud of is having always stayed eligible as he fought his way through challenges at one of the one prestigious academic schools in the country.
The Future
The undersized, feisty cornerback has certainly left his mark on the Deacs' football program. Noel was named a freshman All-American, the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2011, has totaled nearly 200 tackles and has more than three-dozen starts on his resume. He is the heartbeat of the defense and was voted a team captain this season.
"He is a tremendous vocal leader and is always the one that gets guys going and gets them excited," head coach Dave Clawson said. "He also plays the game with great passion."
Noel, who goes by the nickname of "Bud", and classmate Kevin Johnson have given opposing receivers little room for success and rarely give up big plays. Fans frequently see the 5-foot-10 Noel celebrate after breaking up a passing play or letting receivers know he was there.
"Bud is very instinctive and can see plays really quickly," Johnson said. "He has great speed and change of direction along with a tenacious demeanor. And he has the cover skills to match any opposing player."
Noel will spend this coming spring chasing his goal of playing in the NFL, but before doing that he and his family are focused on something they have talked about for years -- graduation day. The redshirt senior will wear his cap and gown in December and leave with a degree in communications.
"Once you get a degree that is something no one can take from you," Noel said. "Football is not always promised. I thank God that my mom had an open mind about what was important other than sports."
