Parental Control

By: Ken Woods

Posted: 11/19/08

A young child waits for his favorite athlete outside the playing field. He is in awe of what he has just witnessed on the football field. He is nervous, yet anxious; and his shy demeanor is evident from his stature. In his hand, he holds a wrinkled Western Illinois football game ticket.

His mother stands with him, anxious as well, with a slight grin on her face in anticipation of meeting this athlete her son admires. The athlete walks over, dog-tired and exhausted from a record-setting performance.

The young child is timid, yet overcome with excitement. He can't find the words to speak; his mother approaches the football player cradling her son by the tops of his shoulders. She says her son would love nothing more than if he signs his game ticket and takes a picture with him.

The athlete is somewhat stunned, but always willing. With no hesitation, he obliges and cradles the child much like his mother had done for the picture. He graciously signs the ticket and speaks to the child with a tremble in his voice.

The child's smile resembles that of Ronald McDonald. His mother shares in the joy. The athlete offers his jersey, but cannot hand it over because it belongs to the university. He does, however, hand the child a wristband worn in the game. On the wristband, he leaves a signature.

That signature read "Herb Donaldson."

Not only was the child's mother in attendance, but Donaldson's mother was as well. Laura Smith witnessed this kind and humble act and was overcome with emotion at the demeanor of her son.

"That moment brought me to tears," Smith said. "He was so gracious and humble and he approached the whole thing with the greatest amount of humility. That was the proudest moment I have had of Herb to this date. To watch him do that was just the best thing, to see him interact with that kid.

"I have expectations of how I think he should treat people," Smith added. "Herb has a light on him and I don't want attitude, demeanor or behavior to diminish that light."

The values that his mother instilled in the senior running back were showing through in this emotional moment. Donaldson credits his maturity and humility to his parents and the work they put in to ensure that he keeps his values.

"I would put a lot of that on my parents," Donaldson said. "They just kept in my ear. I was fortunate enough to have some parents that put me in a great situation to succeed."

His parents created a formidable foundation since he was a young child. Although he was a standout in athletics and particularly football, his parents always made school the No. 1 priority.

Donaldson was enrolled in a magnet school with a heavy focus on education and success in the classroom. Donaldson has been able to translate this early teaching to the high school and collegiate level.

"For one, I'm an educator and for two, having an education will always be the foundation for any success he has in the future," Smith said. "Even with the athletic programs having that educational foundation, I think helped him have the knowledge, ability and capacity to transcend that into athletics. I think it actually makes him a better athlete."

Not only were his parents a pivotal part in his academic endeavors, but they were also prevalent in his athletic activities as well. His father, Herb Donaldson Jr., was his football coach until he reached high school.

Donaldson Jr. did not get a chance to fully understand his son's skills until he reached high school and could observe from a distance.

"I knew he was good, but I didn't really realize how good he was," Donaldson Jr. said. "As his coach at a small level, I couldn't watch him because I was busy with my whole team, so I didn't really get to see him until high school, where I could sit back as a father and watch."

When in high school, Donaldson caught the eye of Western Illinois head football coach Don Patterson. Western was one of the first schools to show interest in the running back and often sent letters and phone calls.

Donaldson felt reassured with the situation at Western and decided he would spend the next four to five years of his life wearing the trademark purple and gold.

"They was just showing me love when they was recruiting me," Donaldson said. "When I was a junior, I wasn't putting up big numbers and nobody was looking at me. I was ready to rely on these books to get me to the next level. My senior year I was able to shake some things up and Western was one of the first schools to really show me some love."

"Western was the first school that I was getting calls from every week and I was just comfortable with Coach P," Donaldson added. "They got a good tradition with running backs so I felt like it was a good fit for me."

Patterson felt similar about the back and was more than willing to make him part of Leatherneck Nation. "He was a good kid and great back," Patterson said. "A lot of schools wanted him to play linebacker and he wanted to be a running back, and that's what makes him a great back is that he wants to be a great back. I liked his confidence and his willingness to work hard and be serious about football."

Since Donaldson's time at Western, there is not much he has not done on the football field. He recently became the all-time leading rusher in school history, in addition to setting several other records during his time on campus.

"A lot of hard work paid off; I've been privileged to play behind some great offensive linemen," Donaldson said. "I would have liked it to come in a win, but we had some good players that came through. This program has had some very talented running backs come through, and to say that I got the most yards out of all of them good backs, that's something to hang your hat on."

Donaldson has also recorded two 300-yard games, including rushing for the most yards in a single game at Western. His father said that one was of the best performances he has seen on the football field.

"My proudest moment would probably be the first 300 yard game, because I have seen people run for 300 yards, but it was the way he did it," Donaldson Jr. said. "It wasn't in a blowout game running up and down the field. His team needed every one of those yards because the game was so closely contested. That's when I realized that he could play at the next level."

Patterson has coached those great backs that Donaldson spoke of, and he has seen a lot of talent come in and out of the university. Patterson said that in all his years, Donaldson is one of the best players he has ever coached.

"Donaldson is the best running back I have coached at this program," Patterson said. "I know a lot of people will say (Aaron) Stecker, but Herb has been consistent every year and he just works really hard and gotten better every year."

His values along with his athletic abilities have put Donaldson in a path to succeed. His parents laid the foundation for future endeavors, whether in sports or whatever other occupation he chooses to pursue.

"Knowing my family background and the lack of progress made as citizens of where we live, I never wanted my son to fall into any of that," Smith said. "I am really leading Herb hard to be a productive person, being a contributor. So that's been the difference to give a strong moral foundation and a strong foundation of values to build himself on.

"As a parent, I always just felt that we teach our kids the best we can, but when they cross the threshold of the home to go out to the world they are going to do what they want to," Smith added. "So I just hope that all that I and his dad have done will have more influence on him to do right than his peers."