Cory Check

Onalaska Park and Rec - Recreation Coordinator // Onalaska HS Asst Football Coach

[the Sports ON Tap @thesportsontap]

When Malachi Coleman was five years old, his mother left him and his two year old sister at a stranger's house.

She said she would be back.

He plays wide receiver for Wisconsin now, and he has never seen her again.

His father had already died. So at five, Malachi became the person responsible for keeping his sister Nevaeh alive.

They went into foster care in Nebraska. They lived in three different homes. He was abused in the system.

Then a couple named Craig and Miranda Coleman heard something at church and decided to become foster parents. They planned to take one child at a time.

At the end of their licensing class, the agency asked whether they would consider two siblings who were about to be separated from each other.

They thought about it for a couple of weeks and said yes.

The kids started coming on weekends in October 2014. They moved in that January. On November 20, 2015, Craig and Miranda adopted both of them.

Here is what Craig said about the boy who showed up.

"He was a broken kid."

Miranda said he lived for today and only today. Malachi says he was mean and selfish and would not do one kind thing for anybody.

So one day Miranda argued with him about it for an hour.

And at the end of it she did not ask him to become a good person. She asked him to hold a door open for one person. One door. One stranger. That was all.

He has not stopped since. He holds doors for everybody now, and he will tell you that kindness is the thing he cares about most.

When Nebraska started letting high school athletes earn money off their names, Malachi Coleman put his into a burrito at a local restaurant and sent a cut of it to the foster care system. He runs a foundation now that works to get kids out of foster care and into permanent homes.

The football is almost the small part.

He was a top 60 recruit out of Lincoln East and he stayed home and signed with the Nebraska Cornhuskers. It did not work. Eight catches as a freshman, then shoulder surgery, then nothing. He transferred to Minnesota and barely played there either.

Three seasons. Thirteen catches.

This year Wisconsin took him, because a coach who had him at Minnesota vouched for him. In his first game he caught four passes for 76 yards and a touchdown against Notre Dame, which was more than he gained in all of last season. Last weekend he caught a 46 yard touchdown against Michigan State.

He says he faked his confidence until it became real.

He got that line from his mother.

A woman once sat and argued with a furious, broken kid for an hour, and then asked him to hold one door open for one stranger.

Here is what he says now.

"I see myself as wanted."

[SportsCenter @SportsCenter]

Madden Orlovsky had a heartfelt message for his family and friends in honor of World Autism Awareness Day 🥹

This was a special moment for all of us at ESPN. Thanks, Madden and @danorlovsky7 ❤️

[Unbiased Ev @DoubleVodkaDon]

That was one of the greatest endings to any sporting event I’ve ever seen in my entire life. Easily one of the greatest shots/moments in the history of the NCAA tournament. I love sports so much. Nothing like it.

[Coach Tom Yashinsky @CoachYashinsky]

If everyone only knew the adversity this young man has faced the past 6 months… what a journey it has been to get here.

Tuesday of our level 2 playoff game Teague’s mom calls me during practice as we are heading to Indy period. She said something happened with his dad, and he needs to come home.

Teague’s dad was his biggest inspiration and his lifting partner. They powerlifted together 6 days a week and he built Teague into what he is today.

His dad was fighting a relatively secret battle with cancer- he didn’t want the attention on him- was just going to beat it and go about his business. But during chemo on that Tuesday he went into cardiac arrest. Teague rushed to the hospital where dad was fighting for his life. He spent the next three days by his side wondering what was next. Teague decided to play in that game Friday because he knew his dad would kick his butt if he found out he missed a game worrying about him.

He played Friday, with next to no practice that week, and held his own against a very stout Pewaukee front. We came up short as a team, but in that moment there were bigger things to worry about.

Teague’s dad never recovered, and after battling for a few weeks he passed quietly in his sleep. Teague has rallied around the sport him and his dad grew up loving together and today he calls himself a state champion.

We are incredibly proud of the perseverance you have showed the past 6 months! Congratulations and know that he is proud.

[Paul Rabil @PaulRabil]

What a beautiful thing to say and how lucky we might be to have parents who believe in us.

[Rich Eisen Show @RichEisenShow]

After another disappointing playoff loss, should #GoPackGo move on from Matt LaFleur?

#NFL #NFLPlayoffs #WildCardWeekend

[Rob Demovsky @RobDemovsky]

Micah Parsons with a strong endorsement of Packers coach Matt LaFleur.

“I reached out to him when I started seeing this and I said, ‘When I agreed to come here, you were part of the reason.’”

[Sam Dekker @dekker]

Sports >>>

Look how everyone is just a big family

[Coach Dan Casey @CoachDanCasey]

This is fantastic from Mike Elko!

“My job [as a coach] is to always be opposite the moment.”

Leaders are either fighting chaos or fighting complacency.

[Dan Orlovsky @danorlovsky7]

Any talk about firing Matt LaFleur is idiotic

[Ryan Harings @RyanAndBucky]

let me be super clear on the 'rushing the field convo.'

If I was in the stands I would have sprinted out there so fast I might have taken the snap in the victory formation.

Sports are supposed to be FUN. The fan base deserved that.

[Lily Zhao @LilySZhao]

Full answer from #Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo after @eric_nehm asked what happened after the game on the court:

"I believe like being humble in victory."

Giannis felt "disrespected" but added they have talked and "I think we're in a good place."

[Coach Tom Yashinsky @CoachYashinsky]

Thanks to @UWLEagleFB and @UWLCoachJanus for joining us and sharing #TheExperience at our yearly Coulee Region All Stars tailgate party serving community members with special needs and disabilities. They brought the energy and a great night was had by all.

[Joe Smeltzer @joesmeltzer775]

Notre Dame DC and former Penn State tight end Al Golden was asked about the biggest lesson he learned from Joe Paterno.

Here’s his response.

[Cory Check @cory_check]

@BarstoolBigCat This better be going straight to the Varsity Collective

[Cory Check @cory_check]

@DonteHadler @TomOatesWSJ What’s bizarre is that he thinks anyone cares about what a retired, stale, behind the times reporter still thinks. Contrary to popular belief it is possible to embrace change and show some support once in a while rather than dwelling on the past

[Kayla Bomar @bomarkm1]

A message from a coaches wife

[Virginia Men's Basketball @UVAMensHoops]

"My father always told me 'recruit [and] hire a staff that you can lose with first before you win.'"

[Olivia Olson @OliviaOlson22]

Committed 💛🖤