CRENSHAW'S PRICE A SOUL SURVIVOR UCLA RECRUIT KEEPS CHARACTER INTACT DESPITE THE MURDER OF BOTH BROTHERS.

Byline: BRIAN DOHN Staff Writer

The teardrops trickled down Brian Price's cheeks one after another, splashing on the football cradled in his arms.

His father, Frank, had just told the family that one of Brian's brothers, Eddie, had been shot to death. Brian usually keeps his emotions in check, but not this time. Even in the hardened area where Price grew up, where he said gunshots made sleeping soundly a fantasy, this was too much to handle.

Eddie wasn't the first Price brother to be slain, but he was the one closest to Brian. Upon learning of Eddie's death, Brian vowed to make a difference for his family and with his life -- and to do it through football.

A significant step in Brian's plans will be made today, when the Crenshaw High defensive tackle, the signature player of UCLA's recruiting class, joins 10 other high school seniors and signs a binding letter of intent to play football for the Bruins.

It is Price's first step away from the pain.

``It's real tough living where you live, in a bad neighborhood or whatever,'' the 6-foot-3, 270-pound Price said. ``You can't sleep how you want to sleep at night. You can't do the things you want to do. You can't stay out late. I'm real excited to get to UCLA and get out of here.''

The tough neighborhood, which is within walking distance to Crenshaw High, serves as Price's motivation.

His talent, which he began to hone as a freshman at Crenshaw on a team coached by his father, helped him earn a scholarship, which he said wasn't on his radar only a few years ago.

Price's mix of talent, drive and character have helped him start on the path toward his goal of reaching the NFL so he can provide for his mother, Jeanetta, his father and six sisters.

Price is optimistic about going ``three years and out'' at UCLA, so he can ``get my family out of here.''

That statement makes his father, Frank, squirm.

``He's saying three-and-out, and I told him to stop saying that,'' Frank said. ``He says that what he wants to do, go to the (NFL). My standpoint is, just take care of your business.''

The focus has been there for nearly nine years.

If Eddie's death wasn't enough to deal with, there was also the incarceration, and murder, of another brother, Damon, in 2003. He was 24.

The Price family said Damon was involved in gangs, which led to a prison sentence. They said after being released from jail, Damon had his life back on track and had started his own recording label before he was shot and killed.

Brian Shaw, a former NBA player who is an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers, witnessed some of Brian's pain. Brian was named after Shaw, who is also his godfather.

``His father, I'm sure, instilled a great work ethic in him,'' Shaw said. ``(Frank) didn't have a lot of the essentials that other kids have but still prided himself on working hard, that you get more appreciation and satisfaction out of earning things the right way.''

Eddie was an example of what Frank tried to teach.

The Price family said Eddie was helping a girl, who was being harrassed, get to a bus so she could leave the area. Trying to be the peacemaker, Eddie took her to a bus stop, where they waited for the next bus. That is when a car pulled up and started spraying bullets.

Eddie, who was 18, was killed. That was in 1998.

``It taught me to never trust anyone and to keep your head on a swivel,'' Brian said. ``There's someone out there after me, whether you know it or not.''

Murder is something Brian has dealt with regularly, he said, and he still believes there are people who want to see him fall.

But one of the ways Brian copes with pain is through art.

He made therapeutic drawings of the scene where Eddie was shot and of cars he liked as a youngster. Now, he enjoys sketching cartoon characters. He also sings at his church.

If football does not pan out, Brian will use his artistic talent to chase another ambition. He is a B-average student and will major in architecture.

``He's so good-natured and has a high spirit,'' Crenshaw coach Robert Garrett said of Price. ``I think he understands this world more than a lot of kids his age, and he's seen a lot. He wants to make a difference.

Because of NCAA rules, UCLA coaches cannot comment on players before receiving a signed letter of intent. But Price fits well into coach Karl Dorrell's plan to recruit players with strong character. It is something his parents tried to instill in him via examples.

Frank relayed a story of going to a drive-thru, and asking for a small cup of water. He was pleasant with the worker, and by the time the conversation ended, he and Brian drove away with a jumbo cup of water for free. Nothing major, just a life lesson about the power of kindness.

``Brian and I never talked about playing football on the next level, playing football in the NFL,'' Frank said. ``We always talked about being the best you could be, doing your best, working hard. He realizes success is out there, but you have to go get it.''

On the field, Price is the jewel of UCLA's small but talented recruiting class. He has a quick first step, is tough and possess a hunger to succeed. He is expected to enter August training camp on UCLA's two-deep roster, and his credibility is intact despite a recruiting process he said ``gave me a headache every night.''

Price said on March 11 that he was planning to commit to UCLA, but that did not stop other schools from courting him. He recently made a trip to Arizona State, and he said his family played host to USC coach Pete Carroll and linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr.

The meeting with the USC coaches had a turbulent ending. Frank Price could not be there, so longtime family friend and former Crenshaw assistant coach Eric Scott was asked by the family to sit in. Scott left Crenshaw last summer to work as a part-time intern at UCLA.

``It was cool to me, but my mom didn't like it because coach Carroll said if I didn't take a trip there, he didn't know what kind of character I have,'' Brian said. ``My mom got mad off of that, and I did, too. You can't judge a person's character because they don't want to take a trip to your school.''

Because of NCAA rules, USC could not comment on the matter.

Price said he is sleeping a little better these days, but only because the family was confronted with another adverse situation.

Brian said the family missed some mortgage payments and lost their house near Crenshaw in May. They moved to Gardena, which he said is not as volatile. But it also means a 30-minute bus ride to school every morning rather than a quick walk.

When Price arrives at UCLA, he will see familiar faces. Crenshaw products Reggie Carter, Aleksey Lanis and Chinonso Anyanwu will all be redshirt sophomores next season. Crenshaw teammate Raymond Carter will also sign a letter of intent with UCLA today.

But if you want to know how Price navigated through the obstacles of his environment, check out his recruiting highlight DVD. The compilation of plays from Crenshaw has Young Jeezy's ``Soul Survivor'' as the background music.

``I never liked being negative,'' Price said. ``I'm optimistic. I'm positive about everything. I just stay humble and pray. I ask God to keep me focused. I know I have a goal in life. I can't get mad off of stupid stuff. There's a lot of people out there that want to see me fall. They'll get glory in that.''

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2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Crenshaw defensive tackle Brian Price, the godson of Lakers coach Brian Shaw, is the prize of UCLA's recruiting class.

Kirby Lee/Special to the Daily News

(2) Brian Price, right, overcame obstacles in a rough neighborhood and will sign a letter-of-intent to play for UCLA.

Courtesy of the Price family