A Birthday Wish : L. A. Southwest’s Star Lineman Chris Mims Wants to Be First of Family in University

Chris Mims turns 19 on Friday, and for his birthday he wants success.

“I just want to make it,” Mims says in a gentle tone. “I want to be the first one in my family to go to a university.”

L.A. Southwest’s star lineman has several other birthday wishes. He wants the Cougars to have a winning season, he wants to average three sacks a game and he wants to finish the year with 110 combined tackles.

Sound like a difficult task?

Well, Mims doesn’t seem to think so, and neither does Southwest Coach Henry Washington, who says the 6-foot-6, 230-pound defensive end is the best athlete he’s ever coached.

That says a lot about Mims, because this year’s defensive unit is the best in the school’s history, according to Washington. The Cougars’ powerful front line includes Mims on the weak side, defensive end Bernard Dafney (6-7, 285), and tackles Clidell Gipson (6-1, 280) and Anthony Arley (6-1, 290).

The burly linemen played key roles in both of the Cougars’ victories this season. In a 17-16 win over Rio Hondo, they allowed only 11 yards rushing, and last week, in a 41-0 stomping of West Los Angeles College, they allowed a mere 69 yards of total offense.

“Their defense was excellent against us,” said Rio Hondo Coach Clint South, who would rather forget the Southwest game. “They had a real good guy that played on the end, and he was tough. They were all tough.”

There’s no question that South remembers Mims, although he prefers not to. Mims can’t easily be forgotten. He is, after all, every quarterback’s nightmare.

“People say I’m known for speed and excitement,” Mims said modestly. “I guess when you least expect it, I’ll get you a sack. When the game is down and we need something, I’ll try my best to get it.”

In the Cougars’ opener against Rio Hondo, he forced a fumble, deflected a pass and had three sacks, six solo tackles and three assisted tackles. Against West L.A., he recovered a fumble and had seven solo tackles and two sacks.

“He’s an incredible athlete,” Washington said. “He’s got size, speed and quickness. He’s now approaching his potential, but he hasn’t reached it. When he does, he has no business in this league. He’ll belong at the Division I level.”

That’s probably where Mims, a sophomore, will end up, providing he maintains his 2.76 grade-point average. Academics prevented Mims from playing at a four-year college after a successful career at Dorsey High School, where he also played basketball.

As a senior at Dorsey, Mims broke school records for tackles and sacks in a single season and was an all-Southern League and all-City selection. He was also named most valuable player in the Senior Bowl, one of many high school summer all-star games.

“In 10th grade,” said Dorsey football Coach Paul Knox, “he was a tall, thin guy, but he really developed and became a dominant force on our team. We’d have to take him off the field when we practiced offense because he’d ruin it. We couldn’t go through with the plays because no one could block him.”

Mims turned down a football scholarship to the University of Hawaii because, under Proposition 48, he would have been forced to sit out one season. The National Collegiate Athletic Assn. rule stipulates that incoming freshmen must score at least 700 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test.

Instead, he rented an apartment in Woodlyn Hills with some friends and played football at Pierce College, which had reinstated its program.

Mims was a star, but the team finished with a dismal 1-9 record. He led Pierce in tackles, sacks and blocked passes. He was also a second-team Western State Conference selection.

“He’s just an exceptional athlete,” said Pierce Coach Bob Enger. “He’s by far the best defensive player I’ve seen, and he’s definitely one of the best all-around athletes I’ve ever worked with.”

That spring Mims was the starting center on Los Angeles City College’s basketball team, since Pierce doesn’t have a program. He averaged eight points a game and helped lead L.A. City to the semifinals of the state tournament.

“He’s a tremendous competitor, and he’s very inspirational,” said L.A. City basketball Coach Reggie Morris. “He really made our team a better team. He’s a rebounder, he’s extremely aggressive and he’s even an intimidator at times. Also, his speed is incredible for the size he has.”

Mims hasn’t decided if he’ll play basketball this season. Southwest doesn’t have a program, so he would return to L.A. City. At least, he says, he’s closer to that school now.

Mims transfered to Southwest so he could live at home, in South-Central Los Angeles, with his mother and siblings. Washington was ecstatic, since last year his team lacked depth and finished with a 5-5 record.

A top-notch player such as Mims, Washington says, is a prize addition to this year’s roster, which includes quality backups in key positions.

After only two games, Mims’ aggressive play has already attracted scouts from UCLA, USC and Alabama. It’s also earned his teammates’ recognition.

“My job is so much easier with Chris in the backside,” said Dafney, who noted that lack of manpower made his job twice as hard last year. “He wants to be in on every tackle and every sack. He always goes 100 miles per hour every time the ball snaps. If you want to make the tackle, you gotta beat Chris, and that’s hard to do. He’s always there.”

Dafney should know. He and Mims made a bet at the start of the season to see who would get more sacks and tackles.

The bet serves as a motivator for Mims, but his biggest concern is with the team’s performance as a unit.

“We’re going to shock this state,” Mims said. “If they only knew how much talent we have. Just to think about it puts a smile on my face.”

At least he’ll look happy on his birthday, even if all his wishes don’t come true.