Can’t Touch This: Rapper is Poetry in Motion

Maybe I have (cop) rocks in my head, but I think people are giving up far too fast on this musical television series thing.

My apologies to Steven Bochco and Co., but I have an idea, and it will cost a good deal less than the zillion dollars poured into “Cop Rock.”

It’s called “Halfback Rap,” and it stars Jarod Smith, a talented Esperanza High School senior who excels in football, art, poetry and music--rap being his favorite.

Basically, the 17-year-old would star as an exceptional high school halfback who, in the middle of a touchdown run, breaks into song.

Best of all, it’s a true story. Well, almost. We haven’t quite sold Esperanza Coach Gary Meek on the singing part yet. Anyway, the real-life background:

At 4, Jarod’s mother, Maxine Jackson, enrolls him in dance classes--tap and jazz. Maxine hopes Jarod will be the next Michael Jackson. But all the while he’s tapping and jazzing, Jarod is thinking about football.

At 11, Jarod signs up for a youth football league. He’s an instant star. Maxine sighs and tells her Michael Jackson wish to Beat It.

But Jarod doesn’t let his mother down entirely. Secretly, he writes songs and poetry about world peace and politics.

At 16, Jarod, now a junior at Esperanza, joins the school’s “Creative Impulse” club, which puts on an annual assembly. Jarod and friends perform their rap songs in front of the school and are a big hit.

It’s the same story on the football field and track, where Jarod has proven to be one of the fastest boys in school. He doesn’t just walk by, he whooshes .

Today, Jarod (say “jah-ROD,” not “jer-id”) and longtime pal Clayton Tharrington are “The Poet” and “D.J. Liquid,” in their rap group, 95 Thesis. The band’s name, Jarod says, relates to “our being the 95th generation of youth trying to make a statement about the world.”

Jarod, a shy type, says most of the songs they write are about issues such as apartheid and “what it’s like to be a black teen-ager growing up in Orange County.”

Jarod adds he also writes “bragging songs,” which detail his exploits on the football field. Rest assured, despite being one of the most talented running backs in the county, Jarod does not brag.

Consider:

--In the last two playoff games, he has rushed for 452 yards in 24 carries--a 18.8-yard average--and six touchdowns.

--After averaging only seven carries per game (and gaining 427 yards) in Esperanza’s first six games as a wingback, Jarod was moved to halfback. Since then, he has been given the ball about 14 times per game, gaining 897 yards in the last six contests.

--He wears jersey No. 1, but it was not his choice. Meek said he was issued the number “as a kidding thing, because we all know Jarod is humble. When we gave it to him, he blushed.”

Said Maxine, “He’s always been kind of shy and humble and laid back. Even before a game, I’ll go in his room and go, ‘C’mon, Jarod, get pumped up!’ And he’ll just go, ‘Yeah, Mom.’ ”

Jarod says it’s not quite like that. With Esperanza 12-0 and one game away from the Division III final--the Aztecs play Hart on Friday--he is getting more excited every day.

“I thought the team could do this well,” he says, “but I never thought I’d do what I’ve done.”

Along with his increased number of carries, Jarod said he’s learned how to make moves on defenders in the open field. He says he studies Notre Dame standout Raghib (Rocket) Ismail--”I try to do what I think he would do going downfield,” he says.

Said Meek: “In the last few weeks, Jarod’s learned to power through people. He’s learned to lower his shoulder and bounce and spin off people to get that extra two or three yards. He’s become very difficult to tackle.”

To this, Jarod shrugs. At times, football doesn’t seem to interest him very much. In fact, he says when he’s off the field, he’d rather think about other things, like his desire to be a film director or a music producer.

“If we can’t get any of our rap songs produced, I’d like to produce music myself,” he says.

And maybe star in his own series, too.

Barbie Ludovise’s column appears Wednesday and Sunday.