DISGRACED ATHLETE READY FOR COMEBACK GROSS PUTS DRUG CHARGE BEHIND HIM.Byline: Gerry Gittelson Staff Writer SANTA CLARITA Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, - Aaron Gross figured his promising football career - and life as he knew it - were over in November when he was arrested for marijuana marijuana or marihuana, drug obtained from the flowering tops, stems, and leaves of the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa (see hemp) or C. indica; the latter species can withstand colder climates. possession in the Canyon High locker room a few days before the biggest game of the regular season against Hart. Gross was expelled from school in an incident that wasn't just embarrassing but downright down·right adj. 1. Thoroughgoing; unequivocal: a downright lie. 2. Forthright; candid. adv. Thoroughly; absolutely. shocking, considering the touted senior offensive lineman carried a 4.0 grade-point average and had never been in trouble. ``I made a mistake, and it was a big one. I paid some big consequences, too,'' Gross said. At the time of the incident, Gross was considered Canyon's top scholarship prospect. Canyon defeated Hart a few days later and eventually won the Southern Section Div. II championship at Home Depot The Home Depot (NYSE: HD) is an American retailer of home improvement and construction products and services. Headquartered in Vinings, just outside Atlanta in unincorporated Cobb County, Georgia, Home Depot employs more than 355,000 people and operates 2,164 big-box Center. Gross, who was charged with a juvenile misdemeanor misdemeanor, in law, a minor crime, in contrast to a felony. At common law a misdemeanor was a crime other than treason or a felony. Although it might be a grave offense, it did not affect the feudal bond or take away the offender's property. By the 19th cent. , transferred to Saugus and did his best to stay under the radar This article is about the magazine. For other uses, see Under the Radar (disambiguation). Under the Radar is an American magazine that bills itself as "The solution to music pollution." It features interviews with accompanying photo-shoots. . ``It was really sad not being able to play even though I was very happy for my teammates,'' Gross said. ``It was just horrible not having a chance to go all the way with them.'' His parents, Dennis and Barbara, were in disbelief Disbelief See also Skepticism. Capys Trojan who mistrusted Trojan Horse; cautioned against bringing it into the city. [Gk. Myth.: Zimmerman, 50] Cassandra no one gave credence to her accurate prophecies of doom. [Gk. Myth. . ``Aaron just broke into tears, and so did I,'' Dennis said. ``It was very traumatic for the whole family. This was the last thing his mother and I could have ever expected.'' The good news is that the trouble has not continued. It's been three months, and Aaron Gross is on a comeback. He plans to resume his football career at College of the Canyons College of the Canyons is one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the state. According to the National Junior College Research Association, College of the Canyons consistently ranks in the top 50 community colleges in the nation. , and he's slated to return to Canyon next month, giving him an opportunity to graduate with his lifelong friends and former teammates. He's soon scheduled to finish a stint of 20 Narcotics narcotics n. 1) techinically, drugs which dull the senses. 2) a popular generic term for drugs which cannot be legally possessed, sold, or transported except for medicinal uses for which a physician or dentist's prescription is required. Anonymous meetings, at which time a judge has promised to dismiss the marijuana charge. ``It's been quite a learning experience for me, but in the end I'm going to better from it and I'm going to learn from it and overcome,'' Gross said. When he was first expelled, Gross wasn't even allowed to attend Canyon football games, per district rules. Eventually, he made it to the championship game and watched Canyon defeat Hart in a rematch REMATCH Cardiology Clinical trials–Randomized Evaluation of Mechanical Assistance Therapy as an alternative in Congestive Heart failure–related to use of a portable, electric left ventricular-assist system–LVAS–eg, HeartMate® at Home Depot Center in Carson. That evening sparked a renewed interest in football, along with the loyalty of his senior friends at Canyon, including linebackers Tyler Hawkins and Matt Brown and defensive lineman Garrett Leary, who eventually took over Gross' spot on the offensive line. Now that Gross has some perspective on what happened, he isn't ashamed to divulge the details or admit he was thinking like a teenager. ``I had smoked it just a few times and I liked it,'' he said. ``Frankly, I bought a little bag because I was so sure we'd beat Hart, and I thought it would be a good way to celebrate.'' An alleged theft in the locker room led to a widespread search, and the marijuana was discovered in the pocket of Gross' pants by a sheriff's deputy. ``I'll say that marijuana is fairly common for Canyon students but not for Canyon football players,'' Gross said. ``When the deputy went through my pants and found it, I was pretty much in disbelief. I just couldn't believe it. I was shocked and everyone else was shocked, too. It's not something that's normally associated with me. I had a 4.0 GPA GPA abbr. grade point average Noun 1. GPA - a measure of a student's academic achievement at a college or university; calculated by dividing the total number of grade points received by the total number attempted .'' Gross has continued to work out and has remained in good shape and kept up his studies, enrolling last week in College of the Canyons' winter weightlifting program. Canyons coach Chuck Lyon said he wasn't aware of Gross' problems at Canyon, but the coach is more than willing to grant a fresh start. ``That's what JC football is all about. Kids make mistakes and we try to help straighten them out,'' Lyon said. Eventually, Gross is hoping to enroll at a school in the University of California The University of California has a combined student body of more than 191,000 students, over 1,340,000 living alumni, and a combined systemwide and campus endowment of just over $7.3 billion (8th largest in the United States). system. If he can continue to excel in football, his dreams of a college scholarship and a career in engineering might still happen. More important, he learned valuable lessons about not acting on impulse and being accountable. ``He's just absolutely handled this whole thing very well,'' Gross' father said. ``He's learned to be responsible. Aaron is Aaron ben Nisi was a Jewish ruler of the Khazars mentioned in the Khazar Correspondence. He reigned around the year 900 CE. Little is known about his reign. As with other Bulanid rulers, it is unclear whether Aaron was Khagan or Khagan Bek of the Khazars, although the latter is really good at bouncing back. I never saw him depressed through this whole thing. He's handled it positively and he's taken responsibility. ``One thing is for sure: The whole thing has definitely opened his eyes.'' Gerry Gittelson, (661) 257-5218 gerry.gittelson(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Aaron Gross, an ex-Canyon High football star, plans to play at the College of the Canyons. David Crane/Staff Photographer |
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