ACTING ON HIS OWN WASHINGTON STEPS OUT OF FAMOUS FATHER'S SHADOW.

Byline: MATTHEW KREDELL Staff Writer

Each time John David Washington puts on his pads, straps on a helmet and goes out on the football field, it is clear he is his own man.

Defenders don't care who his father is when they are trying to tackle him.

Most other times, he is Denzel Washington's son.

Although he is fiercely proud of his father as an actor and a person, Washington has tried to build his own identity since attending Campbell Hall High of North Hollywood.

Washington could take a big step toward getting out of his father's shadow Sunday, when the Morehouse College running back expects to be picked up by an NFL team - either late in the draft or as a free agent.

"This is my thing," John David Washington said. "This is what I do. My father supports me 100 percent, but there's nothing he did as far as his star influence to get me here.

"There's no handouts in football, there's handoffs."

To many, Denzel Washington lives a dream life. The Academy Award-winning actor is one of the few people in the world whom most can identify by a first name.

What John David is trying to accomplish in football makes even his famous father envious.

Denzel, known as a huge sports fan in Los Angeles from his frequent appearances at Lakers games, grew up a football player. He played running back in high school and spent a year on the football team at Fordham University in New York before turning to acting.

"For a kid to have that dream and be this close, and for a dad who had the same dream and didn't make it, needless to say I'm very proud and happy for him," said Denzel, who noted that the only time he has been nervous around celebrities was meeting Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan.

With his four children born during his burgeoning fame in the 1980s and early 1990s, Denzel turned his kids on to athletics to add some normalcy to their lives while he was away on movie sets.

John David, the oldest, took up Denzel's childhood favorite in football. Katia, a senior at Harvard-Westlake who plans to go to Yale next year, played volleyball. So does Olivia, a freshman at Campbell Hall. Her twin brother, Malcolm, is a varsity basketball player at Windward of Los Angeles.

John David became so captivated with football that Denzel remembers him putting on his uniform to watch games on television. He loved the Philadelphia Eagles. When Denzel was filming the movie "Philadelphia," he got John David onto the field to meet Randall Cunningham. John David got a helmet and gloves that he still has in his room at the family home.

Campbell Hall turned out to be a place he could fit in with little fanfare. The Olsen twins, Mary-Kate and Ashley, were classmates. He was only the son of a famous person, not famous himself.

Not to say that Denzel's presence at games didn't create a buzz. He attended whenever he was in town, standing on the sidelines to focus on his son without interruptions from the crowd.

Unless Denzel was around, Campbell Hall coach Anthony Harris couldn't tell that John David was the son of a movie star.

"He was a quiet kind of guy, really respectful, great manners - yes sir, no sir, yes ma'am," Harris said. "You could tell he came from a good family."

Denzel and his wife, Pauletta, were raised in strict, religious households. Denzel's father was a minister, and Pauletta grew up in the church.

They tried to instill those same values on their children.

"We just raised them the way we were raised," Denzel said. "Just because I have some celebrity and a couple more dollars, I wasn't going to suddenly try to do something different, because it worked pretty good for us."

Pauletta tells the story of flying in first class with Denzel while sometimes making the kids fly in coach so that they wouldn't take it for granted.

The lesson stuck with John David, who took summer jobs as a library assistant and a lab tech at Morehouse to have spending money rather than hit up Dad.

"I'm majorly blessed to have a family that lives comfortably, enjoys life's extremities and many glorious things," John David said. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't want that. But I don't want it given to me. That's not how we were raised, not the Washingtons. I want to get it myself."

That same work ethic extends to the football field.

John David was a late bloomer in high school, not growing into his 5-foot-9 frame until his senior year. That was his breakout season, as he helped Campbell Hall advance to the Southern Section divisional semifinals for the first time in school history.

His performance gained late interest from a few Pacific-10 Conference schools, but he and his parents already had decided he would go to Morehouse, a small, all-black college in Atlanta.

At Morehouse, John David shed the baby fat he had carried for most of his life and became the school's all-time leading rusher with 3,669 yards.

"He has the best work ethic I've ever seen," Morehouse coach Terry Beauford said. "He's the type of guy who would get nicked up during the season but never skip a practice. He was the first guy on the field and the last guy off. We have a little saying that we can't control our future, but we can control our habits and our habits can control our future. Based on his habits, I see a bright future for the young man.

"He's on a mission to prove something, and, because of that, he keeps going non-stop."

Even after finishing his senior season at Morehouse, John David wasn't thinking a professional football career was realistic.

It wasn't until he was invited to the Las Vegas All-American Classic in January that his plans changed. By having a great week of practice and then leading the West team in rushing during the game, he proved that he could fit in alongside players from major football programs - including some from USC and UCLA.

All of a sudden, he had agents interesting in working for him and NFL scouts calling his school.

"At first, it was like, no, they can't be serious," John David said. "Me? At this school? As they kept coming, I thought this is serious. This is real. I'm trying to enjoy it all. It's a dream come true, really."

John David began training with former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kordell Stewart, whom he met at an Atlanta gym. Stewart helped John David get permission to take part in UCLA's Pro Day. The Bruins' strength and conditioning coach, E.J. Kreis, coached in the same capacity at Colorado when Stewart was in college.

Weighing in at 209 pounds, John David caught the attention of some scouts in workouts. The Indianapolis Colts and Seattle Seahawks showed the most interest.

Denzel is on a movie set in New Orleans working on his latest film, "Deja Vu," a science-fiction thriller produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and co-starring Val Kilmer. But Denzel is returning to his Beverly Hills home this weekend to spend Sunday with John David and the rest of the family as they wait for the phone call that could shape his future.

"Nothing would make me happier than to be known as John David Washington's dad," Denzel said. "That's what any parent would want, and that's what I want. I don't want him to be known as my son, I want to be known as his dad. And it's happening."

John David hopes to hear his name called during the seven-round draft, although he would not mind signing as an undrafted free agent. He knows he still has a lot of work ahead to reach professional football. He just wants a chance.

"I'll do NFL Europe," John David said. "I'll fight the odds once again. I just got to prove that I belong. I'll outwork the man next to me. I'll play special teams, punt, hold, snap, whatever they need. I'll wait my turn until I get to run the ball.

"This is about proving myself more than money. I shouldn't have any contract difficulties. Just let me in."

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CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Campbell Hall of North Hollywood product John David Washington, the son of actor Denzel Washington, ended as Morehouse College's all-time leading rusher with 3,669 yards.

Courtesy of Morehouse College

(2 -- color) WASHINGTON