A journey beyond miles

By Kevin Lee Associate Editor

It’s a long way from the Great Lakes to the Gulf, but it’s an even further journey for University of Toledo football player David Thomas. The fifth-year senior linebacker has completed a trek that would have seemed nearly impossible given his situation early in life.

Thomas came into the world as one of 14 children in one of the most vicious areas in the nation. With his mother in dire straits and his father gone from the scene, David and his brother Leon went to live with his grandmother, Sallie Fenderson.

“It was just her raising us with some help from my Aunt Felicia,” Thomas said. “My grandfather had passed on by that time.”

Growing up on the notorious east side of Detroit, Thomas’ grandmother knew it would take a lot to keep her grandsons from falling prey to the forces that shattered lives around them. “It was pretty bad, I’m not going to lie to you,” said Thomas. “There was drugs and gang violence everywhere, but my grandmother just kept us focused with extracurricular stuff and church. Lots of church.”

So complete was the immersion into his grandmother’s world, they didn’t really see their actual siblings. “It was like we were our own little family,” he recalled.

His grandmother’s work paid off. David and older brother Leon made their way to Kettering High School where they established their athletic prowess. Leon was a standout defensive tackle who earned a scholarship to college, finishing up at Grand Valley State. “I looked up to Leon,” explained David. “Through him I could see what could be accomplished if I just kept doing the right things.”

David evidently learned harder lessons from his brother about opportunity and long-term goals, and is set to receive his bachelor’s degree in marketing this May.

The younger Thomas first played running back at Kettering, until a situation forced the coaches to try him at linebacker. Thomas responded with 21 tackles and a handful of sacks in the game and found himself at a new position.

Thomas eventually signed a scholarship to the University of Toledo and worked his way up through the rotation, until his third year on the Rockets team met with misfortune. In an early game against Marshall, David’s arm was twisted in a pile-up and he broke his forearm. His season was over.

“It was troublesome, to sit there and watch my teammates get ready for games,” Thomas admitted. “I was just so frustrated knowing I could be out there contributing.”

The 6’2”, 240 pound defensive leader was ready to reemerge with a vengeance. Thomas quickly overtook the starting middle linebacker slot and never relinquished it. He had 91 tackles in 2004, third best on the squad.

He has remained a stalwart of the Rockets’ defense, coming in second on the team in tackles with 78 stops for the 2005 season. He feels his best game of the campaign was the recent double-overtime season-ender against Bowling Green. “I had 11 tackles,” said the team captain, “broke up some key passes, made some good stops in goal line defense and had a big stop in a fourth-and-short situation.”

The excitement of the Rockets’ performance drew the attention of the GMAC Bowl, and they were slated to appear in the seventh rendition of the bowl game Wednesday, Dec. 21.

Toledo appeared in three of the last four Motor City Bowls in Detroit. It gave Thomas a lot of exposure to the home folks, but the change of pace is certainly good. “We can’t wait to get to Mobile,” said Thomas. “It’s going to be great. We’ll get to showcase our talents in front of the whole country.”

Though this post-season doesn’t include Detroit, David will still see some familiar faces. “I’ve got some friends in the (Mobile) area,” he said, “and it’ll be good to see them, too.”

One familiar face will not be there, though, as Thomas’ grandmother won’t be able to make the trip. “Yeah,” Thomas said, “she’s getting older. She’s 78 now and doesn’t get around as much. She spent her life working hard, and it can kind of catch up to you after a while.”

However, with ESPN’s nationwide coverage of the GMAC Bowl, Fenderson will still be able to watch the culmination of a journey that began when she first took a young boy’s hand and led him into the safety of her heart.

GMAC looks for action

Excitement is the key phrase for GMAC Bowl officials. They want exciting teams, exciting storylines and, most of all, excited fans when the seventh edition of the post-season collegiate football game kicks off Dec. 21 in Mobile’s Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

“We’ve got a great tradition of excitement in this game,” said GMAC Bowl President Jerry Silverstein, “and we expect it to continue in 2005. We’re expecting a lot of points out of the University of Toledo. They’ve got some real quality backs and an exciting style.”

The Toledo Rockets will face another high-flying act in the University of Texas-El Paso. The Miners generate points through an accomplished quarterback and a coach who likes to roll up the yardage via a wide open offense.

In only its seventh year, the Azalea City’s annual bowl game has already managed to generate the highest rated game ever on ESPN2 and set a record for the most points in a bowl game. That hallmark came in the now-legendary 2001 multi-overtime game that featured future NFL star Byron Leftwich.

Silverstein can see the differences in the game over just a few years. “The community support has improved a lot,” he said. “We’ve gotten a lot of national recognition and some good support from the fans.”

The Marshall Thundering Herd brought a lot of fans to town, the CEO remembered and the same could be said of the Memphis Tigers.

Normally scheduled on the Wednesday before Christmas, some community members have wondered if the timing of the event couldn’t be manipulated to further facilitate tourism, perhaps closer to a weekend. “Well, we think we have a good slot right now,” Silverstein commented. “We are the only game on across the nation that night. If you want to watch football, you’re watching the GMAC Bowl.”

And that focus translates into big bucks from television revenues. ESPN’s influence certainly keeps the game in a position favorable for ratings.

Silverstein also noted that title sponsor GMAC likes the game’s date. “They use it as a bonus incentive for their employees, flying about 600 people in for the game every year from all over the country.”

“Plus,” he added, “everyone gets to go to the game and be home by Christmas.”

And what does he hear from those far-flung visitors? What leaves an impression? “Well, the hospitality, the courteousness and food, certainly,” said Silverstein. “It’s also a very pretty city, we hear a lot about that. And the Mardi Gras parade they throw is another one. It really catches a lot of people by surprise.”

One of the more welcome features, though, is an easy sell. “It’s a lot warmer in Mobile in December than it is in Ohio, yes,” he added.

Another Palmer brother finally in Mobile

Sometimes a shadow doesn’t obscure, but instead gives one a chance to learn before stepping into the limelight. That’s the perspective that has helped University of Texas-El Paso quarterback Jordan Palmer as he follows in the footsteps of a famous older brother.

Jordan’s sibling, Carson, won the 2003 Heisman Trophy as a star gunslinger for the University of Southern California Trojans. His leadership in the team’s successful bid for a national championship eventually earned him an invitation to Mobile’s Senior Bowl where his performance reaped rewards.

The challenge didn’t faze Jordan. “We’re brothers long before we’re quarterbacks,” explained the junior signalcaller. “He’s been a great big brother. We’re great friends that talk about real stuff other than football when we get together.”

Jordan follows Carson’s path to the Port City and Ladd-Peebles Stadium when UTEP takes on the Toledo Rockets in the GMAC Bowl.

It was easy for Jordan and Carson to develop a close relationship when compared with their other siblings. Jordan, the youngest of four, calls attention to the wide age difference between the brood. “I’m 21 and my oldest brother is 41. My parents weren’t in any hurry,” he chuckled. The five-year gap between Carson and Jordan didn’t seem too great in comparison.

Carson’s stellar high school career in Mission Viejo, Cal. was capped off while Jordan was still in junior high. Carson accepted a scholarship offer to neighboring Southern Cal and Jordan stepped up, but not as a quarterback. “I was a receiver and safety when I first got on the high school team,” said Jordan. At his present height of 6’5”, Jordan had yet to fill out to his current 230-pounds. “I was a 185-pound beanpole,” he laughed.

Palmer transferred and took additional tutelage from nationally renown quarterback mentor, Rob Johnson. Both Jordan and Carson had used Johnson’s sage advice since seventh grade.

But there was another obstacle for Jordan to face once he switched back to Mission Viejo. “Yeah, the quarterback who started between me and Carson signed with them (USC) too,” said Palmer, “but after he left, we had a great running back who scored every time I gave him the ball, so we didn’t throw that much. We won all our games, but I didn’t put up big numbers.”

Jordan headed off to El Paso as Carson was raking in the accolades. Carson was eventually the first player chosen in the following NFL draft. Jordan found West Texas to be a world apart from Southern California, however he isn’t unhappy with the experience. “I had the usual homesickness when I got here,” said Palmer. “We all do. My brother did and he was only 40 minutes away from home. But that’s not the case now. I love the people here.”

On the field, the UTEP Miners had a ball control offense that seemed destined to bury a quarterback in obscurity. “They told me,” Palmer said, “that if I came here and performed like they were hoping I would, that we would start throwing the ball around some more. It was a bit of pressure at first, but it felt good, too.”

Palmer has responded well. He has already thrown for over 7,000 yards in his first three years, 3,340 in this season alone. He ranks ninth nationally in total offense and 19th in passing efficiency. Against Memphis, he tallied 431 yards and had an impressive 73 percent completion percentage against Tulsa, while amassing 340 yards in passing. “That Tulsa game was kind of weird,” he recalled, “because it started with me throwing a couple of early picks, but then I settled down and had one of my best games.”

He credits that to his brother as well. “You know, the best things I’ve learned from Carson haven’t been from things that he’s told me,” said Palmer. “It’s been from my Dad telling me ‘Watch how Carson handles this,’ ‘Watch how he handles this press conference,’ or ‘Watch how he handles throwing interceptions,’ because Carson’s such a great guy and just does everything the right way.”

“You know,” recalled Jordan, “we were just laughing about it the other night, but Carson and I have had really similar careers. We both had shaky starts, both had better junior years where we made some of the same mistakes and successes. We even both broke our collarbones early in college on similar plays; we were both rolling out right when we decided to turn it upfield and were hit near the sideline.”

“Whether I have the same kind of senior year (as Carson),” stated Palmer, “we’ll just have to wait and see.”

If so, Jordan will likely return to Mobile for the 2007 Senior Bowl and carry on the fraternal tradition.

Regardless of what transpires on the gridiron, though, Jordan will always have one leg up on the rest of the Palmer kids. “Yeah, I took 10 years of violin lessons,” laughed Jordan. “None of the other kids played an instrument.”

Not even Carson.

Kevin Lee is Lagniappe associate editor. Contact him at klee@lagniappemobile.com.

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