UPON FURTHER REVIEW: REVERSING HIS FIELD CHATSWORTH'S SHUMPERT FINDS THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR HIS LIFE.Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Staff Writer The kid with the baggy bag·gy adj. bag·gi·er, bag·gi·est Bulging or hanging loosely: baggy trousers. bag pants and baseball cap pulled tightly over his head is walking straight toward Joe Shumpert. A few years ago that could have meant danger for Shumpert, now a running back at Chatsworth Chatsworth, estate, Derbyshire, central England, near Chesterfield. It is the seat of the dukes of Devonshire. Begun in 1552, the present Classical-style Chatsworth House was rebuilt in 1686. High and one of the region's top football players. In fact, a few years ago the other kid might have been a member of a rival gang and clutching a knife in the pocket of those baggy jeans. But that was a different time, and for Shumpert, a different life. Shumpert extends his arm and slaps hands with the kid. ``What's up, Joe,'' the kid says as he walks by. ``Chillin','' Shumpert says. For Joe Shumpert, it's impossible not to notice the simple moment's poignancy. A few years ago, his life was spinning out of control, filled with anger, hate and crime. Today he's a respected student at Chatsworth and one of the leaders of the surprising Chancellors football team. ``He's a kid whose story ranks up there in the top 10 in terms of heartbreak stories,'' Chatsworth athletic director Athletic director (commonly, "athletics director") is a position at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, which oversees the work of the coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic Fluke fluke, parasitic flatworm of the trematoda class, related to the tapeworm. Instead of the cilia, external sense organs, and epidermis of the free-living flatworms, adult flukes have sucking disks with which they cling to their hosts and an external cuticle that Fluker said. ``To see how far he's come is remarkable.'' The reminders of Shumpert's former life are never far away. ``Sometimes I'll be walking around and I'll hear kids talking, saying, ``What's up, Crip crip n. 1. Offensive Slang Used as a disparaging term for a person or animal that is partially disabled or unable to use a limb or limbs. 2. ? What up, Blood?'' Shumpert says. ``And I'll be like: `Man, do you guys even know what you're doing? Do you guys even realize what a waste that is?' '' Joe Shumpert knows. He wasted more than half his life running with gangs, first as a youngster growing up in West Covina West Covina, city (1990 pop. 96,086), Los Angeles co., S Calif., in the San Gabriel valley; settled 1905, inc. 1923. Before World War II, West Covina was a small rural community where walnuts, wheat, and livestock were raised. , then as a resident of the Chatsworth boys' home he was sent to when his mother refused to pick him up after he finished his second stint in juvenile hall for possession of 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. . He was 13 at the time. Shumpert got involved in gangs through his father, who is now serving a life sentence at Pelican Bay Pelican Bay is the name of several places in the United States:
Shumpert was a good learner. By the time he was 13, he'd been arrested twice. His mother, fed up and frustrated frus·trate tr.v. frus·trat·ed, frus·trat·ing, frus·trates 1. a. To prevent from accomplishing a purpose or fulfilling a desire; thwart: , asked Shumpert's case worker to keep him in juvenile hall to prove a point even after he finished his sentence. Shumpert caught a break when the case worker instead placed him in Rancho San Antonio Rancho San Antonio may refer to:
``I'd go home on the weekends and it was the same old stuff,'' Shumpert admits. Nevertheless, a subtle change was occurring. For the first time in his life, Shumpert had structure and discipline. He also had counselors willing to listen and was surrounded sur·round tr.v. sur·round·ed, sur·round·ing, sur·rounds 1. To extend on all sides of simultaneously; encircle. 2. To enclose or confine on all sides so as to bar escape or outside communication. n. by other kids from similar backgrounds. Meanwhile, back home in West Covina, five of his friends died in gang violence. ``It hit me that I wasn't the only kid from a broken home, or the only guy out there with problems,'' Shumpert said. ``It started opening my eyes to things. That, and seeing my dad in jail and what was happening to my friends. ... It made me think about things.'' Shumpert left the Crips for good about two years ago. Although Shumpert was finished with gangs, he struggled at Chatsworth. In fact, he wasted his first two years by getting in trouble and doing poorly in class. ``He lacked focus, he didn't care,'' Chancellors coach Bill Coan said. ``It was hard to get through to him.'' Shumpert credits Coan and Fluker for not giving up. Fluker was especially influential, using a life-skills class he teaches to plead plead v. 1) in civil lawsuits and petitions, the filing of any document (pleading) including complaints, petitions, declarations, motions, and memoranda of points and authorities. directly to Shumpert. ``You could tell he was a smart kid, he just needed guidance and direction,'' Fluker said. The messages began sinking in once Shumpert's success on the football field grew - when he was able to play, that is. Shumpert was academically ineligible in·el·i·gi·ble adj. 1. Disqualified by law, rule, or provision: ineligible to run for office; ineligible for health benefits. 2. to play during parts of last year. ``I think that's when he saw how valuable he was to the team and what he was potentially missing out on if he didn't get serious about school,'' Coan said. Shumpert dedicated himself to the classroom and the field before this year. He has run for 801 yards and 11 touchdowns on 94 carries yards and is in good standing grade wise. ``It's been a remarkable change,'' Coan said. ``He's worked extremely hard to change himself.'' It's too late for Shumpert to qualify academically to play at a Division I college next year, but he plans to go to a junior college and move on to some place bigger in two years. ``That's my past hurting me once again,'' Shumpert said. ``I'm not going to let that happen again.'' CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Joe Shumpert, a Chatsworth football player, is running with the ball now after running with gangs for several years. Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer |
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