Badgers basketball assistant Chambliss carries father's legacy
(FOX6 News Milwaukee)
MADISON, Wis. - Sharif Chambliss is not going to just sit quietly and observe when the Wisconsin Badgers are playing basketball.
As one of Greg Gard's assistant coaches, he is quite obviously into the game and shows his emotions freely. He was much the same way as a Badgers player himself in 2004-05. That was after three successful seasons at Penn State, which came after a decorated career at Racine St. Catherine's High School.
Chambliss has taken a lot with him from his experiences.
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"I'll tell you an old coach Ryan saying," said Chambliss. "When the student is ready to learn, the teacher will appear, and when I sit back and think about that and just process that, it makes a lot more sense now that I'm older."
Bo Ryan isn't Chambliss' only mentor. Al Haj Jameel Ghuari was Chambliss' dad – and that is who he reveres to this day, that is who he emulates.
"Dad was raw and uncut, but he was very passionate about everything he did," Chambliss said. "If it was teaching basketball, if it was making sure somebody had academic stuff, if it was talking to somebody about getting out and reasons to vote, why your vote matters and why you matter, giving somebody self-worth, that's what I'd say my dad probably did the most."
Is there a more meaningful gift? Ghuari made the lives of many in Racine better.
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"When he had a chance to come back after playing professional basketball overseas, he knew he wanted to dig his roots deep into Racine," said Chambliss. "Racine stands for the roots, an Indian term. He wanted to be grounded in his community and do whatever he could for his community."
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Chambliss has two sons at home and 18 players on the Badgers' roster to directly impact. He understands that thousands more inside the Kohl Center – and untold thousands more outside – can still be impacted. His dad taught him that.
"I think for me, just go out there and control what you can control and bring positivity," Chambliss said. "Positivity is contagious. No matter what you're going through, we have an opportunity to make it right and to steer our ship and to write our story and write our testimony. And when we have a chance to do that, that's how you leave your legacy. That's how you leave your impact on people and know that servantship is what it's about. It's not about you. Nobody really cares about you at the end of the day, but how do you leave yourself on somebody? And you go and serve, like god did."
A father is looking down from above with pride, at a son who doesn't just sit quietly and observe.