Speedster Quindrelin Hammonds: Partial Dream Denied!
The majority if not all the fans who chime in on GoBlackKnights.com are familiar with the mission of the United States Military Academy at West Point.
But just in case you aren’t, here’s a reminder.
A Message to The Long Gray Line 11 March 2024
To the Long Gray Line and all USMA Supporters:
Duty, Honor, Country is foundational to the United States Military Academy's culture and will always remain our motto. It defines who we are as an institution and as graduates of West Point. These three hallowed words are the hallmark of the cadet experience and bind the Long Gray Line together across our great history.
Our responsibility to produce leaders to fight and win our nation's wars requires us to assess ourselves regularly. Thus, over the past year and a half, working with leaders from across West Point and external stakeholders, we reviewed our vision, mission, and strategy to serve this purpose. We believe our mission binds the Academy to the Army - the Army in which our cadets will serve. As a result of this assessment, we recommended the following mission statement to our senior Army leadership:
To build, educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets to be commissioned leaders of character committed to the Army Values and ready for a lifetime of service to the Army and Nation.
Both the Secretary of the Army and Army Chief of Staff approved this recommendation. Our updated mission statement focuses on the mission essential tasks of Build, Educate, Train, and Inspire the Corps of Cadets to be commissioned leaders of character, with the explicit purpose of being committed to the Army Values and Ready for a lifetime of service. The Army Values include Duty and Honor, and Country is reflected in Loyalty, bearing true faith and allegiance to the U.S. Constitution, the Army, your unit, and other Soldiers. In the past century, West Point's mission has changed nine times. Many graduates will recall the mission statement they learned as new cadets did not include the motto, as Duty, Honor, Country was first added to the mission statement in 1998.
Our absolute focus on developing leaders of character ready to lead our Army's Soldiers on increasingly lethal battlefields remains unchanged.
Go Army!
Duty Honor Country!
LTG Steve Gilland
61st Superintendent
What we also know and understand is that there are several former Army Black Knights football players and West Point Grads currently holding down NFL roster spots.
Now, I will be the first to say that I am not an expert on the policy and procedures that surround what constitutes one academy player getting the thumbs-up from the Secretary of Defense versus one who is declined.
Every cadet-athlete (all sports) at the United States Military Academy must submit a pro sports packet/application if they wish to pursue professional sports in any capacity. This process started many months ago in advance of graduation and commissions. The Secretary of Defense then reviews this application for approval or denial. At this point, the Army West Point Athletic Association has no say in the matter of what decisions the Secretary of Defense makes on behalf of our cadet-athletes.
Last year … Andre Carter, Marquel Broughton, and Kwabena Bonsu would have gone through this same process as well as Ross Frederick from the baseball team.
GBK Projections:
When GBK was projecting the senior players from the 2023 Black Knights squad who might be hearing from NFL clubs and the worst-case scenario be invited to free-agent rookie camp, one of those players on our list was Quindrelin Hammonds.
However, just today, I was informed that the Secretary of Army did not approve Quindrelin, whereby shutting down his pursuit of the NFL. Unfortunately, this means that this will be the end of his football journey.
It is my understanding that the packet submitted allows players to delay their commissioning as an officer, which allows for them to pursue a pro career. This packet requires approval by the Secretary of Army.
It appears that only a few packets were accepted and a few others were denied and of course without approval, you wouldn’t be allowed to continue a pro career.
I am sure if we asked "Q", he would probably say that he is disappointed that he was not able to at least get the shot to see if he could make it at the next level. On the other hand, I am sure that he will or already has refocused on the task at hand and that is going forward as a United States Army Officer.
Therefore his NFL dream may have been denied, but not his upcoming May 25th graduation from West Point and his destiny as an Army Officer.
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