The Sad Fate of Robert 'Tractor' Traylor

Robert Traylor, the guy whose enormous frame gave him the nickname "Tractor," was such a unique athlete. I'm the same age as Traylor and grew up in the same area, so I've been following his basketball career since high school. He seemed like a can't-miss prospect.

It didn't quite work out. Traylor was good but not great at Michigan, and never did much of note in the NBA. Michigan has long since washed its hands of him, with the punishment the school received for recruiting violations surrounding him grossly exceeding any benefit the school got for his on-court performance. At age 30 he can't find an NBA team that wants him. And now he's facing eight to 14 months in federal prison.

The prison sentence is a result of laundering money for his cousin, Quasand Daniell Lewis, a drug dealer who is serving 18 years in prison. This Detroit News article about Traylor describes helping Lewis as "foolish" and says he "got some bad advice."

But I don't think that quite covers it. The best way to describe Traylor is greedy: It was his greed that led him to take money in violation of NCAA rules and his greed that led him to earn money participating in illegal activities for his cousin. Now it's landing him in prison. He's still young, though. Let's hope this guy who had so much promise at 20 and is in so much trouble at 30 is doing something productive with his life at 40.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

4-09-2007 @ 9:05AM

Misery Loves Company said...

So Traylor knows how to launder money? So I guess that just leaves me, Michael Bolton, and Peter Gibbons who would have no idea as to how to go about it.

4-09-2007 @ 4:15PM

Gary Cady said...

!!!! I wash my money at least once a week when i forget its in my pants and i never got in no trouble.
Now how about Mr."Tractor". It is a pity he balled his life up like he has, but like my dad was fond of saying, and i quote " If your gonna screw up your life don't do it half ass, do it right or don't do it at all!!", then that was normally followed by, "and while i'm at it you are as worthless as tits on a boar hog!!". That ALWAYS got my attention, as i could'nt figure out what the hell tits on a bore hog had to do with anything!!. Well now that i am older and supposedly wiser i can apply my fathers words of wit to Mr. Traylors troubles and find, in a perverse way, some truth to my Pappys ramblings and meaning to the terminology of "worthless as tits on a bore hog", if the shoe fits...wear it. Hopefully when he is released back into the general population he will have decided on path, or as Dad would put it " Son?, there is a left track and there is a right track, the left track leads to debauchery and worthlessness, and the right track leads to all things good, what track would you like to find your self on as you grow older?" i contemplated this question for several seconds and blurted out the "LEFT track!!! oh loving father", what came next was described to me as a tune up, a little slap here a little smack there until i got the real picture then i was asked the same question again.(albeit a much shorter version of the original) " RIGHT track or the, be careful now BOY, or the left track??". Once again i pursed my lips and was about to mutter left when visions of a second tune up came to mind, so in a wave of pure terror i spoke, in barely an audible whisper, and replied, " r i g h t?? track??". I am here to tell you that got me a much deserved pat on the head, not unlike the pat on the head our family dog would get, and ever since then its been the right track for me. To bad Mr. Traylor did'nt have my pappy for his pappy, he would have learned about the right track and all that it has to give, he would have found out what term "tune up" meant and he surely would'nt be in the trouble he is now.
Thanks for letting me ramble, i know most could give a rats ass about the story just told but there is truth to these words and if it helps one person laugh or take the "right path" and avoid the "tune up" or hear the "worthless as tits on a bore hog" quote then it was worth it.

4-09-2007 @ 4:27PM

Zak said...

Because of his recent trouble with the law, does this tilt the advantage to the Mavericks in the 1998 draft day deal of Traylor for Dirk???????

4-09-2007 @ 7:44PM

jlucas said...

Worthless as tits on a boar hog, well if you knew anything about hogs, you would know that more tits on that male hog, means they past that onto the female offsprings, the more tits means the more little pigs can nurse/suck.
Tractor needs all the help he can get, that boar hog needs more tits.