Whiteside is an Army All-American

NEWPORT BEACH — High school football players selected to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl are considered among the best in the nation. They’re also picked because they embody traits that an Army soldier possesses.

It can easily be said Cecil Whiteside meets those criteria. The Newport Harbor High School senior has been through his own share of battles away from the field. They serve as reminders of where he came from, what made him strong and what drove him to a better life. Those thoughts were present Thursday when the Army honored him at his school with an official jersey and cap for the seventh annual game, which is slated for Jan. 10 at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

Not many know Whiteside’s side. If they do, most likely he wasn’t the one who told them.

He’s a quiet one, a young man of few words. It makes sense that he offers little of his past.

“Life isn’t perfect so you kind of have to do with what you have available and just make the best of it,” he says, explaining what has made him the person he is today.

When Whiteside was 5, his father, Martin Hammonds, was shot to death, said Graig Brown, Whiteside’s uncle and guardian. Hammonds, a hate crime victim, played football. He was a tough, small linebacker at Artesia High School, Brown said. After he died at 27, Brown wanted to care for Whiteside as Hammonds was his adopted brother.

“Cecil was in Compton, not doing very well as far as the environment he was in,” Brown said. “It was a difficult lifestyle, and he wasn’t getting presented the opportunity to succeed. We were able to provide him an opportunity to better his life and move forward and get him into an academic program that would help his future.”

There’s more to this story, but Brown wanted to keep those troubles private. A father’s death is painful enough.

“Cecil is a lot older than most kids that are 18 years old,” Brown said. “He’s experienced so much in his life that I would say he’s in his 30s with his experience. From about 13, and now that he’s 18, it seems like he’s experienced many more things.”

During the three years after his father’s death, Whiteside would visit Brown’s home on the weekends. A relationship began to build and eventually, Brown and his wife, Leilani, took him in. They say they’ve received great help from some special neighbors, Robert and Cathy Kinney, who also serve as Whiteside’s surrogate parents.

They all get so excited to watch him play. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound inside linebacker and receiver is the Sailors’ top player. Entering the season he was also considered the best in Orange County by a few publications, including ESPN.

He’s headed to UC Berkeley to play football and compete for the track and field team, as he is a standout in the discus event. But that’s not all Whiteside is known for and that’s not the primary reason why the Browns and Kinneys are so proud of him. Of course they were beaming plenty as Whiteside was presented the All-American jersey. But they’re looking forward to a greater moment in the spring.

“We’re going to be extremely proud when he gets his high school diploma,” Brown said. “That was our goal, to get him to graduate high school and have a happy childhood. So everything now is pretty much gravy.”

Still, receiving a spot in the Army All-American Bowl is a pretty big deal, Whiteside said. He’ll spend a week in San Antonio, attending events that build up to the big game that in the past has featured such stars as Florida’s Tim Tebow, Reggie Bush of the New Orleans Saints and Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings.

“That makes me feel honored to be accepted into the game because of those caliber of players,” said Whiteside, who did not hesitate in his response for where he would rate being part of such a prestigious event. “This is a 10. This is a big honor. It’s a national game and it’s going to be on TV. People are going to see me across the country. It’s pretty up there.”