Goldenwest Christian Star Leaves Paddock for Larger Field of Play

At the time, it was the biggest thrill of his life. George Paddock, out of tiny Goldenwest Christian High School, was selected to start in the 1985 Orange County All-Star football game.

But he almost decided not to play.

Paddock, a 6-foot 4-inch, 220-pound defensive end, was scared. He wasn’t worried about getting hurt; he was scared of humiliation.

“I was worried about getting beat so bad I would be embarrassed,” Paddock said.

The game would be played in front of thousands in Santa Ana Stadium. College scouts and newspaper reporters would be there. And 11 guys would line up on each side of the ball.

This was all new to Paddock, who had spent four years playing eight-man football on pothole-marked fields that he often had chalked himself, except where the sidelines were bordered by fences or trees.

Forget about college scouts. Paddock had to beg friends to come see him play in high school and beg classmates to put on uniforms so Goldenwest could field a complete eight-member team.

Paddock decided to play in the all-star game, and he held his own.

Two years later, Paddock, 21, is a redshirt junior at the University of Mississippi. He’s still trying to catch up with other athletes, but he’s way ahead of the oddsmakers.

“Sometimes when I think back about high school and the things that have happened to me, I can’t believe I’m here,” Paddock said from Mississippi.

There wasn’t much question about where Paddock was going to high school. His grandmother, Sybil McCorkle, was principal of Goldenwest Christian, a small school that changed names and locations in Orange County numerous times before it finally closed after the 1985-86 school year.

Paddock’s father, Gary, was a science teacher and the football coach. He was also the basketball coach, the baseball coach, the track coach, and one season he was the girls’ volleyball, basketball and softball coach.

“Dad used to start football practice, get us going, then leave us to start volleyball practice and run back and forth between them,” Paddock said.

In Paddock’s senior year, there were 32 students at the school, 7 in the graduating class and 8 on the football team. Paddock was a lot bigger than most of the players he faced. So, in addition to being a linebacker, he played running back because he could run over almost anyone to score touchdowns.

“I always wondered how I would compare to other 11-man players,” Paddock said. “I wanted to play at a four-year college, but I didn’t think I could because I didn’t play 11-man and I didn’t get any recognition.”

But Paddock wasn’t as unknown as he thought. One day a friend pointed to the newspaper and there, along with such names as Mike Beech (now at UCLA) and Brad Leggett (USC), was George Paddock’s name on the Orange County All-Star list, the only player ever selected from an eight-man team.

“I just sat there looking at it, not believing it,” Paddock said. “It wasn’t until they started sending me stuff, telling me about team meetings, that I figured maybe it wasn’t a misprint.”

After high school, Paddock signed a letter of intent to attend Cal State Fullerton on a full scholarship, but, after discussing it with his father, changed his mind and enrolled at Golden West College.

“We thought he needed a little more experience, a little more playing time,” said Gary, who is now studying at Jimmy Swaggart Bible College in Baton Rouge, La. “If he went to a community college, he would play more ball and then he could go on to a university later.”

Paddock’s move to Golden West was a natural progression. When McCorkle started her school in 1978, she didn’t have a big budget, and football uniforms cost money. So when Gary started the athletic program, he went to Golden West College and asked the equipment manager for any old uniforms and equipment.

“Rather than starting up something ourselves and going out and buying new stuff, we assumed their name and colors,” Gary said.

So McCorkle’s school adopted the name Goldenwest Christian to correspond with the G.W.C. on the uniforms, and the school colors became green and gold.

Paddock felt comfortable when he got to Golden West, but not just because of the uniforms.

“The coaches there were the best I ever had,” he said. “They didn’t rush me. If I messed up, they didn’t jump down my throat. It was like learning my ABCs.”

But the transition from 8-man to 11-man football wasn’t completely smooth. In his first practice, Paddock--who first played outside linebacker but was soon moved to the defensive line--said he felt like a lost sheep.

“They ran a sweep and there were guys coming at me from every angle. My head was spinning,” Paddock said. “I went to my coach and said, ‘What can I do about this?’ The coach just laughed and told me not to worry.”

Pug Pierce, Golden West’s defensive coordinator, said Paddock was moved to the line to make the transition easier.

“We tried him at defensive end, but there’s so much to learn there,” Pierce said. “We realized he enjoyed tackling and hitting people, and the line was the easiest position to learn. He adapted pretty well.”

Paddock, who lifted weights to bulk up to 255 pounds, adapted well enough to lead the team in sacks (7) his sophomore year, and he was second in tackles at 70, with 35 of them unassisted. He was an honorable mention Junior College All-American and was recruited by more than 20 Division I schools.

He narrowed his choices to Texas A&M;, Florida, Tennessee and Mississippi and chose Mississippi because the team had fewer defensive tackles. Paddock felt he would get a chance to play more.

Paddock has taken a philosophical approach to redshirting for Mississippi, which is currently on NCAA probation, for at least one year and possibly two, for recruiting violations.

“This year gives me more time to mature and get football smart,” said Paddock, who practices on the scout team. “The other guys played 11-man in high school and learned the techniques and lifted weights. They know all that and are just getting better, but I’ve got to learn it and get better at it at the same time.”

Mississippi Coach Bill Brewer says that Paddock is rapidly learning the techniques necessary to play Division I football.

“He’s improving every day,” Brewer said. “We think he’s really going to make an impact.”