Like many African-American kids in inner cities, R.J. Watkins had aspirations of becoming a professional athlete. He saw it as his way out, his doorway to a better life, perhaps his only doorway. For R.J., it was more than just a dream, it was real. So real in fact, he could see it. He could feel it. He could taste it. Saying it out loud every now and then only reinforced it, validated it, confirmed it to be true. "Someday, I'm going to play in the...