by Pete Schlehr, SID Emeritus
TOWSON, Md. – Eddie Diggs never scored a point nor played in a game for Towson during his association with the Tiger men's basketball program from 1974-78 but every player and coach from those teams considered their team manager an integral part of their success.
The Tigers posted a four-year record of 86-29, won two Mason-Dixon Conference championships and earned two trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament.
"I chose Towson because of its proximity to my home," Eddie recalls. "Also, my high school basketball coach (the late Ray Mullis of Cardinal Gibbons) thought I would be an asset to the sports program there."
So what was Eddie's contribution? He dutifully performed numerous tasks in support of the team whether it involved managing the equipment, handling the laundry, or keeping the players hydrated. Whatever he did, though, he did it with an infectious smile, and therein lay his most important contribution.
He was an inspiration.
Eddie was born with only two fingers on each hand. From an early age he looked past the disability, labeled as "congenital anomaly" and determined to achieve his goals regardless.
"To say 'I can't' should not be your first option," Eddie says. "We all have abilities, disabled or not. Use them to accomplish your goals."
In 1979 Eddie became the first of 13 children in his family to complete a college education, graduating with a degree in sociology. He then spent 21 years working for the Social Security Administration, retiring as a policy analyst.
After watching from the sidelines for a couple of years, Eddie finally made the decision in 1984 to become involved with the Maryland (formerly Baltimore) Ravens wheelchair basketball organization. He's been its heartbeat ever since.
For more than 30 years Eddie has volunteered his time as its nonprofit president/CEO, coach, driver and fund-raiser as well as a conference official, tournament director, referee and school outreach coordinator. As its coach the Maryland Ravens competed in 656 games against other National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) teams, winning 486 of those contests. The program was ranked No. 1 in the country twice and captured the Division III national championship in 2006.
At the end of this month Eddie will receive national recognition for his contribution to the sport of wheelchair basketball when he's inducted into the NWBA's Hall of Fame at ceremonies in Louisville, Ky. held in conjunction with its national championship tournament. Eddie is just the second Maryland Raven in the team's 45-year history to be so honored, following Ralph Smith, the organization's founder, who was inducted in 1995.
"It's a great honor for him and one that he is certainly well-deserving of," says Towson Hall of Fame member and former Tiger basketball great, Bobby Washington (1974-78). "He was one of us. He always kept our spirits up. He took care of our needs, he was very proactive. He had a huge presence on our team."
Washington related an encounter he had with a number of wheelchair basketball players in a Northern Virginia hotel lobby that reflects the extent of his former team manager's widespread reputation.
"I noticed all these guys in wheelchairs and found out they were in town for a tournament," Bobby recalls. "The players were from all over – New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia. I asked them if they knew Eddie Diggs. They all did and spoke very highly of him. In fact, Eddie was running the whole event as the tournament director."
Eddie has also been recognized over the years with the Bill Duncan "Good Guy" Award, a Maryland Recreation and Parks Association Citation and the Governor Martin O'Malley Citation for his work with the disabled in sports in the Baltimore area.
Due to a lack of funding, the Maryland Ravens have had to scale back from competition, shifting their focus more on promoting awareness through exhibition games and clinics all over the state. Most recently, the team had an exhibition game booked against the parents of the Glen Arm Gladiators.
"We're demonstrating with the wheelchair athletes that despite having disabilities we're still able to accomplish all of our personal and career goals," says Eddie. "Our catch phrase is: it's not about disabilities, it's about abilities."
Eddie currently works as a job coach for Mary T. Inc. of Maryland, an organization that specializes in neuro-rehabilitation for individuals with brain injuries who remain active in the community.
"I thought I'd be a good fit with them because of my experiences," says Eddie. "I assist these people with performing, if necessary, their job tasks and keeping them focused on their duties. I'll transport them to and from work and stay with them on the job, whatever it takes to help them realize their goals too."
