▁ ▁D rew ▁had ▁always ▁stro ve ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁strong ▁student ▁academ ically ▁and ▁athlet ically . ▁He ▁frequently ▁wrote ▁as ▁a ▁journalist ▁for ▁the ▁local ▁newspaper , ▁and ▁he ▁received ▁all ▁A ' s ▁on ▁average ▁during ▁his ▁college ▁years ▁at ▁US C . ▁Later ▁doing ▁gradu ate ▁studies ▁at ▁Dra ke ▁University , ▁he ▁bl ended ▁his ▁ab ilities , ▁serving ▁as ▁a ▁motiv ational ▁speaker ▁and ▁track ▁coach ▁while ▁at ▁Dra ke . ▁ ▁Ar ound ▁this ▁time ▁it ▁is ▁noted ▁that ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 5 ▁he ▁was ▁captured ▁in ▁the ▁“ E ducation ▁Number ” ▁special ▁of ▁the ▁NA AC P ' s ▁The ▁Cris is , ▁and ▁also ▁met ▁Book er ▁T . ▁Washington — which ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁sign ifying ▁moments ▁in ▁defining ▁the ▁status ▁of ▁Howard ▁Por ter ▁D rew ▁( Co ach ▁Larry — see ▁pdf ▁below ). ▁ ▁But ▁D rew ▁never ▁let ▁go ▁of ▁his ▁intellectual ▁ab ilities , ▁even ▁though ▁he ▁took ▁time ▁off ▁to ▁en list ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁I . ▁He ▁later ▁became ▁the ▁Vict ory ▁Medal ▁award - win ning ▁ser ge ant ▁for ▁the ▁Supp ly ▁Company , ▁ 8 0 9 th ▁P ione er ▁Infantry ▁Regiment , ▁and ▁the ▁ 8 8 th ▁Division ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Army . ▁He ▁co ached ▁Army ▁track ▁teams ▁while ▁in ▁France ▁and ▁was ▁Honor ably ▁D isch arg ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 9 — rece iving ▁the ▁Vict ory ▁Medal