When Bryan Carter decided to do his social studies fair project on Muhammad Ali, he didn’t know he would get a chance to meet the boxer’s No. 1 fan.
Bryan, a 5th grade student at Lakewood Elementary, came home one day with the idea to do a project on “The Champ.”
His mother, Robin Fields, took him to the library where they checked out books and looked up information.
Then Fields had an idea.
She told Bryan that she knew Ali’s greatest fan and that he lived right here in St. Charles Parish.
She called up Glenn Singleton, an Ama resident who has followed Ali’s career since the 1960s and who is a personal friend of the boxing champion’s brother, Rahaman Ali.
Singleton, 57, was 8 years old when he first heard the name Cassius Clay. He quickly became an avid follower of the boxer and met him multiple times during his fighting career, even spending two weeks with Clay – now Ali – while he trained in New Orleans for his fight against Lion Spinks in 1978.
“I was at The Champ’s side when he became the first three-time champion…I was at his side when his daughter won her first title,” Singleton remembers.
When Singleton invited Bryan over to see his “Ali Room,” Bryan had no idea what was in store.
The room is covered wall-to-wall with photographs and memorabilia from Ali’s career, including signed photographs, boxing gloves, and even a painting that Ali’s brother did especially for Singleton. His most prized piece of memorabilia: a note from Ali calling Singleton his No. 1 fan.
“(Bryan) was amazed at the Ali room that Glenn has – he could not believe it,” Fields said.
Singleton took the time out to share the room with Bryan despite a recent medical condition which prohibits him from working.
“I saw a reflection of me in him,” Singleton said. “For a person this young to be so passionate brings back memories.”
During that first meeting, Bryan could not hear enough about Singleton’s history with Ali and his family.
“Mr. Glenn ended up questioning (Bryan) to find out how much he really knew about Muhammad Ali,” Fields said. “Glenn was shocked that this kid, being so young, knew so much. Glenn inspired him even more.”
Bryan even included pictures of the Ali room and some of Singleton’s memorabilia in his project, which earned honorable mention in the social studies fair.
“The teacher thought it was a picture of Muhammad Ali’s house,” Fields said, laughing. “She was just amazed.”
Bryan still has to present his project to his classmates and Singleton promised to make it to the presentation.
“The only thing that can keep me from there is death,” Singleton said. “And even then I would be there in spirit.”
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