Chapter 8

At 5 minutes until 8 Jared gathered his things and headed to his planned breakfast with Joe Barber. Once in the lobby he picked up a local paper to go with the USA Today left at his door and went to the front desk. He presented his card and ID and made a request.

"Could you please be sure that our rooms are NOT made up and everything is left undisturbed until we check out. We may need one of them for a private meeting later. If we're here past check out time just bill us." He asked as he planned for a long drawn out meeting with Boge Hollins.

"Yes Sir, as a matter of fact a Mr. Barber made the same request already a few minutes ago and I believe I saw him go into the restaurant." The clerk said politely.

"Not a problem then." Jared aid smiling as he went off to join Joe.

Jared was surprised Joe had gotten the jump on him, but then again, he didn't get laid a couple times last night either. "If reality would give Joe a poke," Jared thought to himself, "he would bring his wife on these trips and ride her horny body all night instead of leaving her home to get her jollies cheating on him." However Jared realized it was none of his business, even though Belle had targeted him as a potential "rider".

Joe Barber waved down Jared and they exchanged pleasantries about their evenings and got about to ordering coffee and breakfast. They had just got about to discussing the order of the day when a large older black man approached their table. Jared recognized right away that the man was an ex-football player by his size. Age had robbed him of toned muscle, but the mans size betrayed any other obvious vocation.

"Excuse me gentlemen, my name is Elmer Hollins. I'm Humphreys father, but I guess you know him better as Boge." He said low voice that betrayed his size.

Jared immediately stood up and shook his hand and asked the man to sit with them.

"I know who you are Mr. Winslow, but I don't know your friend." Elmer said as if he were about to pass state secrets.

"I'm Joe Barber, Athletic Director at New England Ag and Tech, would you mind if I asked you to show us ID, for obvious reasons."

Jared was immediately annoyed at Barber's attitude with the man, wanting to get off on the right foot with his prospects family.

"Of course, of course. I understand." Elmer said taking out his wallet and showing a picture license.

"Before we all meet later I have to tell you about a problem we have before we actually meet later. My boy is in trouble." He said as the two other men at the table exhaled their excitement for the day.

"My son is stupid in that he got involved with a gang and all this rap crap that's eating up our neighborhoods. I promise you, no drugs, he ain't into that even though it's always assumed. They listen to all this stuff and get ideas from these supposed icons about how we've all been cheated by our color or a fixed system of government. Now, let me tell you, I have no problems to make him think that. I played college ball, got a couple years in the NFL, got hurt and got a job with the Bears here and have done real well. I'm a physical therapist, it's what I went to school for. His ideas come from that damn music and the gangsters that make it, indoctrinate them with. Now to make a long story short, Boge is under a house arrest of sorts. His gang, or posse or whatever these jackasses call themselves got involved in a robbery and murder. My Humphrey was not even in town when it happened and everyone knows that. There were 11 kids in his group and 5 of them are dead, shot down in the street. Boge knows who shot them and why. It was the trigger man in his group and I guess he wants all witnesses dead. Boge can name all of them left and the trigger man, but he won't. It's this street honor thing where you don't snitch on a brother and put another black man in jail." Elmer Hollins explained.

"So where is he now?" Joe Barber asked.

Elmer Hollins looked both ways and leaned in a bit.

"He's in a room upstairs with the two cops that won't let him out of their sight. If he doesn't talk, he's poison, if he does he's a dead man until everyone is apprehended. Even then there's a chance some other gang may want him to pay a price." He said shaking his head.

"Boge isn't in a real gang like Bloods or Crips is he?" Jared asked.

"Naw, he just wanted to have a posse and all this stuff got blown out of shape and one of them turned into a jackass, wanting to make a name for himself and the gang. Humphrey just wanted to feel important, like some of them rap assholes. Excuse my language but I've about had it with all of this." Elmer explained.

"Mr. Hollins one rule of all gangs is that they take care of their own business and no one enforces another's junk. It keeps the politics to a minimum. If he outs his brothers, he'll be safe. I know more than I should about gangs, but I've had a few of members in my locker rooms. Let me talk to him." Jared said confidently.

"You don't think there'll be retribution?" Hollins asked cynically.

"I doubt it. Most gangs are minority based seeking control of a territory, their own law making, enforcing, and recruiting cadre. Sounds like Boge, or Humphrey as you call him, had a posse and some of the members started "playing" gang. Why they went as far as a robbery is beyond me, but my guess is that someone wanted to wrest control from your son. What that person doesn't realize is that he likely worked in someone else's territory and if he tries much else, THEN there could be trouble." Jared continued speaking authoritatively.

Joe Barbers jaw had just about dropped to the table, saying, "How did a farm boy Vermonter become such an expert on this stuff? You're scaring me."

"Joe, Division 2 schools take a lot of kids that major schools won't touch for various reasons. Crime and violence are the major ones. If a kid can convince me that he'll straighten his life out and get on a good path, both socially and educationally for a chance to play ball, I'll take the risk. I've learned a lot from them and that has helped me deal with others that have come along." Jared expounded.

"Excuse me, Mr. Hollins, for asking this in front of you, but Jared, how do we know this boy is worth the risk we'll be taking." Joe wondered aloud.

"Some of the reasons are right in front of us. His father cared enough for his son to come here, and the MAN, certainly not a boy anymore, has taken personal commitment to a great level to protect his friends and the law of the street, no matter how misguided. I've also talked to a teacher he had when his parents transferred him out of inner city schools. As unhappy as he may have been, he adjusted, buckled down and became a good student." Jared explained.

"Ok, this is your program, but I wonder... " Joe Barber said exhaling.

"Joe, don't cry before you're hurt! We have a chance to save a young man here and put his life on track, AS WELL AS getting a player to make a big difference for us. Taking risks is what this is all about. Now, Mr. Hollins, let's go up and talk to your son and see if we can get some commitments from HIM." Winslow said as he started to stand up.

The three men got off the elevator of the 8th floor of the hotel. They were immediately joined by a plain clothes cop, Tim Santino, the lead detective on the case, who recognized Elmer Hollins.

"Elmer, after today I'm going to take the detail off your son and he'll be on his own. We can't continue to baby-sit and protect someone who doesn't want to cooperate." The cop informed him, making Elmer's face drop a bit more in his stressed state.

With a couple of knocks to the door they were in where Barber and Winslow saw Boge Hollins for the first time in person. After much of the bravado and street tough demeanor he had displayed on the field and in press conferences, it was easy to see he was a broken man learning a hard lesson.

With quick introductions Jared Winslow sat at a table with Boge and leaned into him to say a few things privately and intimately.

"Listen son, I think I know what's happened here and what's going on in your head. Give me a few minutes to talk to you and explain a few things about life from a perspective you may not have heard before. You're on the verge of making a gigantic leap into something that will bring you and your family great joy and prosperity if you play your cards right. The principles you are standing on, no matter how serious you think they are right now are going to seem silly and petty in a few short years looking back at this. Now the difference in how you see that silliness and pettiness will be in your perspective at the time you realize it. Will you be a player who made a difference in the game of football at the college and pro levels, or will you be a schlub working from paycheck to paycheck to get by. Let me show you some names you might know and recognize." Jared said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a dozen pro football player cards.

He laid the cards out one by one in 2 lines of 6 facing so Boge could read them.

"You know who all of these guys are don't you?" Winslow asked as the young man nodded.

"There are 4 of these men who despite their great careers, are almost better known for their off the field problems. Pick out those 4 as you see them." He said as Boge picked up 4 cards.

"Those are 4 very talented men who have brought with them, to the NFL, a posse of friends and hangers on from their younger lives. Those friends and hangers on depend on these players for their every need and influence the bad decisions these men have made. With the 4 you have heard about guns, drugs, and a litany of other tabloid headlines. Just imagine a great doctor taking his skills after 10 years of college and training and teaming up with all the guys in the frat house who flunked out of college and setting them up in his home while he worked all day. That is no different than what these players did. They are supporting leeches who suck off and sully the reputation and talent of great players.

Now, of the eight left on the table pick out the ones you think may have been in either street gangs, jail or juvenile hall before their college careers." Jared instructed him.

Boge looked long and hard and finally shook his head.

"I don't know. I doubt any of them. These are the guys you see on billboards and posters and TV ads for Boys Clubs, and charity's and all that stuff."

"Boge, all eight were in gangs, in juvy, and in jail for one thing or another. But they all got one piece of advice from people they looked up to. That piece of advice was to let your past go and begin a fresh life. How many friends do you have right now, that if you weren't the football star, would be in your life?" Jared asked.

Hollins sat up to defend his friends and quickly sunk back into his chair.

"Probably none."

"I don't know whether or not you're a baseball fan, but you must have heard of Dwight Gooden, Daryl Strawberry and Kevin Mitchell, right? All three at one time in their career were said to be certain Hall of Famers as they began amassing credentials. With those credentials came money. With that money came the leeches from their former lives, the leeches they should have shed years before. I'll leave you these bio's to read when you have the time, but I don't think I need to tell you the lessons you might learn from them."

"Boge, right now one of those so called friends of yours has taken the life of an innocent person and is seemingly eliminating the witnesses to his deed. It's his power play to be you in that little gang, and if you really think you have a "gang" you're sadly mistaken. Even the nastiest most violent gangs have a code of honor. This person is offing his friends because he doesn't trust them, there's no honor there. This rule of the street where you don't snitch has killed a few of your friends, and might kill all of them until it's just you, and the shooter standing. Are you going to trust him with your back? Save the rest of your friends and get this monster off the street. Give him up. You talk about the honor of the street with the no snitch rule as if there's two worlds out there, a black one and a white one. Once you realize that there's only one and live it, you may be able to be one of the eight cards I pull out and show to a young man 10 years from now. It's your choice. Be a man and go on to your college education with a clear mind with goals of being a successful student athlete with a career in professional football, or what ever profession you school for, if sports don't work out. The other choice is to not be a snitch, leave a murderer on the street, see your friends hunted down and spend the rest of your life watching your back and never being trusted by anyone. I'm not here to play games Boge, I have a long tough season ahead of me and to tell you the truth, I don't have time for punks. I can take you out of here with me to NEAT and mold you into a man, a leader and respected member of the community. It's up to you. Of the men on these football cards, some are destined for the Hall of Fame. One of those once told me that he has spoken to many other kids from the street who've found success and they've all told him the same thing. Your friends when you're 15 are rarely your friends when you're 25 and the very much the same from 25 to 35. Of course there are exceptions, but they are few and they are special. When you step from the streets to the spotlight you have to be sure there are no hangers on to weigh down your ascent. I showed you 3 Major League baseball players, a pitcher and 2 outfielders who were destined to be sure-fire Hall of Fame heroes, but they let their friends on to the ride and all have sunk to nothing with only memories of the greatness they once had. Shedding friends may sound cold now, but it will make sense later. Telling those detectives the names and whereabouts of the shooter AND the names and whereabouts of the people they need to protect until he's in custody is your duty as a citizen, and as a friend. Don't base a life decision on the ideas of some "gangsta" rapper who doesn't know you or will ever know or care about you. You have a chance to save yourself, your family, and the family you may father yourself, right here and right now. The decision is yours." Jared Winslow said as he stood and put his hand on the young mans shoulder.