By Whitney Spencer
Whether it was the shuffle of his feet, the quickness of his hands, the confidence in his speech or his humble ways outside of the ring, Muhammad Ali is the most recognized and groundbreaking athlete in the world. So as I slowly made my way down a stretch of hall inside the Muhammad Ali Center, the repeating images of Ali’s face became ingrained in my mind. As I stood inside the gallery, the door slowly swung open, and what seemed like a familiar face emerged from around the corner. Indeed, this was our first meeting, but the similarities between he and his father were apparent.
As the youngest of nine children, Asaad Ali is a spitting image of his father in his glory days, which only leads me to wonder just how much of a carbon copy he may be. I watch while he speaks to those who work at the center before he approaches me. I introduce myself and he does the same. Instantly, I notice he only says his first name, and I quickly realize he is Asaad—just Asaad.
“I try to be as normal as I can,” said Asaad. “I never use my name in vain or anything like that. People here at the University of Louisville are still trying to find out who my dad really is. I don’t bring it up it unless someone asks me.”
By the time Asaad was born, his father was well past his days of fighting, as his final bout was in 1981. But Asaad knew very well of his father’s accomplishments, inside and outside of the ring. His face gleamed every time he mentioned his dad.
Surely he hears the same question over and over, but no, he doesn’t box. He says his mom wasn’t big on contact sports for most of his life, so he didn’t play football until he was in high school. Baseball has been his passion. And he excelled to the point of being drafted by an MLB team, despite the pressure of his last name.
“Pressure always comes with that,” said Asaad. “There’s always a pressure to excel in certain things. But I tried not to think about it as much as I can. Pressure is pressure. You have to live with it.”
Asaad was born in Louisville in 1991, adopted by Muhammad and Lonnie Ali in 1992, and raised in Berrien Springs, Michigan. When it came time to think about college, the thing he knew the most was that he wanted to play baseball. Little did he know that he would be led back to his hometown. Before he could make it to school, he was faced with the prospect of a professional career.
His father was a famous for his late-round performances, and Asaad could have done the same, had he accepted the offer from the Los Angeles Angels in the 40th round of the draft. This was, of course, no option, as his parents were set on him going to college.
“I did a couple different recruiting visits, but Louisville was the most down-to-earth to me,” said Asaad. “They just wanted me for me.”
As we continued to talk, I glanced around the room full of magnificent paintings of Muhammad Ali. Asaad clearly possessed the humble ways of his father. As the conversation shifted, Asaad spoke more openly about his father and his influence.
Known as one of the greatest athletes of all time, Muhammad Ali is an inspiration for many. Those who know anything about his life know the tumultuous road he has traveled. From his start in boxing to his refusal to be drafted into the Vietnam War to his somewhat controversial religion to hisepic battles in the ring and his struggle with Parkinson’s disease, he is a walking influence to people everywhere. For Asaad, he is grateful to have grown up in such an influential environment.
“I just know a lot from his struggles and what he’s went through,” said Asaad. “I’m just trying to live my life just as much as he could. He inspires me just by everything he’s done in the past—the way he takes life and doesn’t take it for granted. Even with his Parkinson’s disease, he still tries to be as happy and as optimistic as he can.”
Asaad describes himself as an easygoing guy, which was clear. He made everyone in the room comfortable, with personal stories and memories of his father. He admits to being the lighthearted person in his group of friends, because he loves to keep people around him laughing. So as the baseball team signed autographs for fans in Freedom Hall, there was no shortage of stories for his teammates to tell. His creativity leaves very few dull moments.
“Asaad is a great teammate,” said freshman outfielder Jarred Clarkson. “He always has something smart aleck to say to you, but he makes you laugh. He’s a fun guy to be around.”
Behind closed doors, most people tend to let a different side show. But with Asaad, what you see is what you get at all times. His roommate, freshman pitcher Tyler Boraz, commends Asaad for being who is he. He sees a lot of Asaad’s personality as coming from his father.
“Everything he does, he looks to make the fullest out of it,” said Boraz. “He gets that drive from his dad for sure.”
As I spoke to his teammates, with him sitting just two seats away covering his ears and smiling, I began to understand why he doesn’t feel the need to introduce himself with his last name. He is just like any other college student, and his teammates make that very clear as our conversation continues.
“He always has a matching outfit and he always takes hours to get ready,” said freshman pitcher Andy Flett. “He has a matching hat for every outfit.”
They continue to poke fun at Asaad and he just lowers his head. His teammates point out that Asaad mirrors his father from his younger years when it comes to girls, as he always has them sending him text messages. That garners another huge smile from Asaad, and a chuckle from the group.
In reality though, Asaad is as much an influence on his teammates as his father is to so many others. He has often gathered a few of the guys from his team and brought them to the Muhammad Ali Center.
“I bring my team here a lot to get motivated,” said Asaad. “The 15-minute video you watch when you first get here—I’ve seen it six or seven times, but it gets to me still. It’s so inspirational.”
That inspiration is something that Asaad has carried with him throughout his athletic career. He played catcher and first base at Niles High School, but plans to focus mainly on the catcher position while at U of L. He knows the hard work that he’ll have to put in to be a part of the Cardinal rotation, but knows well of the rewards of hard work. He was a first team all-conference pick in high school and helped his team win the District championship.
With his mind set on his freshman season of college baseball, which begins on Friday, Feb. 19 with a scrimmage against Bowling Green State University, Asaad is ready to focus on his future with the Cards. Still, just as any other player, he hopes the opportunity arises again to play professional baseball. If it doesn’t, he says he is not going to fret, as he already feels like there is something bigger for him.
“I really want to give back to my community,” said Asaad. “I want to go back to Michigan and coach later in my life and see where that takes me. That’s my main passion.”
As Asaad and I walked slowly past each Simon Bull painting of his father, he recollected his memories behind each fight. Though Asaad was never ringside for any of his father’s fights, he can talk about any of them in detail. While his mother and father traveled, young Asaad would sit in front of the television and watch countless hours of video from his father’s fighting days. He doesn’t hesitate to name his father’s fight against Ernie Terrell in 1967 as his favorite, because of the famous “What’s my name?” line his father spoke after each punch he threw.
As our time together came to a close, I had a new appreciation for the greatness behind Muhammad Ali, as well as the person Asaad is becoming. As he does so well, he made the room swell with laughter as he continued to reminisce on memorable lines his father had spoken and the thumb and levitation magic tricks that his father still practices today. Again I am struck with the realization that this is just Asaad and, like every other college student, he is trying to make a name for himself while still making his father proud.
“I look back and see how much he’s been through and how much he’s done for everybody,” said Asaad. “I feel like ‘What should I do to continue this?’ I want to get to the point where I can be just like him, hopefully fulfill his legacy and do great things too.”
