Anybody grow up with a future pro?

[McC]

(02-07-2017, 06:52 PM)shanebo Wrote: I played in a basketball tournament game against DuPont High School in WV -- had a couple of decent players in Randy Moss and Jason Williams.  Second or third play of the game, I tried to take a charge from Moss and he essentially jumped over me for a dunk.  We all thought he was going to the NBA for sure -- I still think he could have.  Can't argue with his choice, though.  They were up by 25 or so toward the end of the first half and Williams jacked up a shot from well past half court, just messing around, but it went in.  Coach benched him anyway, lol.  Pretty clear that those two were in a different class altogether.

A few years later, I'm working on a road crew paving the track around the stadium at Marshall.  Moss is on the field tossing a football back and forth with another guy.  I go over and say hi, end up throwing the ball a bit with them.  Other guy turns out to be Chad Pennington.  I did not expect him to go to the NFL -- he was smaller than me at the time, and Moss seemed to have the more impressive arm.

Also in high school I played in a pickup game against Katie Smith, who at the time I think had committed to going to OSU.  She was good, but not dominant.  I was surprised she had as much success as she did at OSU (and in the WNBA), although in fairness I was quite a bit bigger than her.

Then I played in an alumni game against OJ Mayo, who went to my high school several years after I graduated.  (Briefly dated my sister, too ...)  He was only in 7th or 8th grade at the time, but he was already being heralded as the next Jordan.  He was very good, even at that age.  Big and fast, could shoot.  Disappointing pro career, though.  Bill Walker also played in that game (and also briefly dated my sister ...).  He was pretty good, too, but overshadowed by OJ.  Those kids took my old high school to the state tourney, and I think they even won a game or two.

Lots of other guys I played with who I thought would do something -- bunch of them got scholarships and a few were even drafted, I think ... Juan Thomas, David Caldwell, Jackson Julson, Eddie Hale, Anthony Barrow, Marc Washington, JR Vanhoose, Casey Lowe ... Don't think anyone else ever made the big show, though.

Good stuff.  I just imagine how wicked Moss would be on a basketball court.

NCH, huh?  I thought Walker and Mayo won the state title.  Isn't there a plaque on Hamilton Ave. about it?