The Jeremy Lin story you haven’t heard

Do I know Jeremy Lin? Not at all. But, somehow, I
already knew the answer when I asked his former high
school English teacher – “Where would he sit in class,
Jeremy Lin?”

“Front row,” Mike McNulty said instantly.

Yes, it makes sense. The NBA sensation who came from the
very end of the Knicks’ bench used to sit at the very
front of McNulty’s classroom, where the longtime sports
fan has taught “The Literature of Sport” for more than a
decade.

“If you like sports, you’re going to like the class,” said
McNulty. “Essentially, we talk about sports in society
and how it all works out, especially looking at it thru
various literary devices.”

The reading list includes Friday Night Lights, The
Blind Side, Seabiscuit and The Natural.

“My take is that sports influences society a great deal.
All you have to do is look around the room and how many of
you have a hat on or sweatshirt on,” explained McNulty.
“There are a lot of different trends in society that come
from sports, so that’s what we look at thru the semester.”

Of course, the latest trend – Linsanity – actually
enrolled in McNulty’s class his senior year (earned an A
grade, naturally), right about the same time he led Palo
Alto HS (locals call it “Paly”) to the state title over
California state power Mater Dei (and their half-dozen D-1
recruits).

Which means that just like Lin went from NBA nobody to
global luminary, he’s about to advance from former student
to future part of the curriculum. Meaning, the teacher
that taught him will now be teaching all about him in the
near future, while using Lin’s papers as an example for
current students.

“He’s a very good writer, one of the better ones I’ve
seen. And creative as well,” said McNulty, adding that he
most definitely remembers Lin’s papers.

“He wrote an essay on Jackie Robinson’s first day in the
major leagues. He created the characters and background,
just like he was there,” said McNulty. “It was really
interesting.”

And perhaps telling. If nothing else, Jeremy Lin
certainly knows cultural impact when he sees it. Or, in
this case, makes it. At the very least, he learned the
importance of seizing the moment, akin to “The Blind
Side.”

“There are some real correlations there,” said McNulty.
“Obviously, completely different socio-economic
backgrounds, but with Michael Oher there was no way that
he ever should’ve played football. He had his chance and
worked at it and got some support and look at where he is
now.”

Which is pretty much what McNulty has been teaching his
students this semester about the kid who used to sit in
the front row. Difference is, you won’t find it on the
book list. Some stories you read. This story you tell.