Sean Floyd Axani
The Scholar:
Sean
Floyd Axani was born prematurely on July 23, 1981 in Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada, six weeks after his father, Floyd Axani and his sister, Corinne
Axani were killed in a head-on collision involving a drunk
driver. He was called a miracle baby because he survived.
His sister, Ramona Axani [McQuillan] although
seriously injured,
also survived. His mother Pat became a spokeswoman for "People
Against Impaired Drivers" and "driving while drunk" became unacceptable
in Canada. Five years later, his mother remarried and the family
moved to Texas, and again to Scottsdale, Arizona, and eventually
settled in New Jersey. At the age of 17, Sean was adopted by his
step-father, John Ellson, and his home is still Red Bank, New Jersey.
Sean has been on the Dean's List four years in a row. His average exceeds 3.7 and he is now completing his second degree.
[Photo courtesy
of Rutgers Basketball]
Sean has been on the Dean's List four years in a row. His average exceeds 3.7 and he is now completing his second degree.
"Rare
and Ready"
[Photo
courtesy of Rutgers Basketball]
At the end of last year, as the rest of the basketball world was getting ready for the NCAA tournament, there was an article written in another New Jersey newspaper, the Asbury Park Press, about one player, who would not get the chance to play in the tournament. However.....
Rare and Ready "Rutgers' Sean Axani represents an endangered species as a student-athlete"
Bill Handleman, Asbury Park Press, Sunday March 16, 2003
"One
of the kids who could leave the Rutgers' basketball team is Sean
Axani. They don't want him to go, because he is smart and he is
steady and he is serious about the game. Also, he is a genuine
student-athlete, an endangered species. Axani, an All-Shore
player at Red Bank, already has one degree, in economics, and is four
classes shy of a second, in sports management. He has been on the
Dean's List the last four semesters, he reads the Wall Street
Journal every day, and you can actually have an adult conversation with
him."
"It was quite a journey, from Special Ed classes [an auditory perception problem made it difficult to learn to read] to the Dean's List at Rutgers, where they gave him a full ride based on his ability as a basketball player. Axani has made the most of the gift of education, which makes him the exception rather than the rule among big-time college athletes. He considers himself a student first, an athlete second, and would prefer it if his professors didn't even know he was on the basketball team."
"It was quite a journey, from Special Ed classes [an auditory perception problem made it difficult to learn to read] to the Dean's List at Rutgers, where they gave him a full ride based on his ability as a basketball player. Axani has made the most of the gift of education, which makes him the exception rather than the rule among big-time college athletes. He considers himself a student first, an athlete second, and would prefer it if his professors didn't even know he was on the basketball team."
Bill Handleman, Asbury
Park Press, Sunday March 16, 2003
Sean did not leave the team. He agreed to come back and captain the Rutgers Basketball team for the 2003-2004 season. He graduated his 2003 year with a perfect 4.0 average.
Sean did not leave the team. He agreed to come back and captain the Rutgers Basketball team for the 2003-2004 season. He graduated his 2003 year with a perfect 4.0 average.
The Trader:
"Rutger's
forward loves hoops and day trading"
"Sean Axani scheduled his classes
around it. He picked up reading habits that his friends wondered
about. He camped in his room for hours at a time. The
Rutgers roommates of Axani , a sophomore forward, didn't know what to
think about his behavior. When the morning newspaper arrived ,
they'd fight over the sports pages and he'd reach for the business
section. Axani would turn off "SportsCenter" to watch CNBC
or Bloomberg news. He was more interested in the New York Stock
Exchange than a blockbuster Knicks trade. While others riding the
team bus read Sports Illustrated, he would be engrossed in the Wall
Street Journal. With his passion for day trading, nobody was
allowed in his room while he was doing it.
In High School, Sean diligently researched companies and kept following the market the same way he used to track the NBA standings. By the time he turned 18 , his mother had released a small trust fund, a portion of which she allowed him to invest in stocks. He bacame competive with his broker and opened an on-line trading account. Axani doubled his money within two months. Axani says he hasn't played the market since September 11, but intends on trading again when basketball ends.
A befuddled reporter asked Axani for a crash course in playing the market. Axani obliged "I enjoy explaining this," said Axani, an economics major. Taking a pad and pen, Axani acts like a coach drawing up a play in the huddle..... "
In High School, Sean diligently researched companies and kept following the market the same way he used to track the NBA standings. By the time he turned 18 , his mother had released a small trust fund, a portion of which she allowed him to invest in stocks. He bacame competive with his broker and opened an on-line trading account. Axani doubled his money within two months. Axani says he hasn't played the market since September 11, but intends on trading again when basketball ends.
A befuddled reporter asked Axani for a crash course in playing the market. Axani obliged "I enjoy explaining this," said Axani, an economics major. Taking a pad and pen, Axani acts like a coach drawing up a play in the huddle..... "
Greg Tufaro, Asbury Park Press, February 1, 2002
Jason Twolen/ Staff Photographer, Asbury Park Press, Feb 1, 2002