Kennedy High’s Thompson Is Confining His Hits to the Field These Days

Damion Thompson never had a problem setting an example on the football field.

Thompson, the heart and soul of Kennedy High’s defense, took over the middle linebacker position the moment he made the varsity as a sophomore in 1993. By his junior year, Thompson was a team captain.

But off the field, Thompson has been through his share of adversity.

Last spring, when he should have been working out, practicing and preparing for his senior season, Thompson instead was removed from the school and teammates he cared for.

Thompson violated school policy by throwing a punch during an altercation on school grounds, and was required to transfer for at least one semester.

The incident shocked coaches and teammates, who were counting on Thompson to anchor a defense expected to be among the region’s best.

“When I saw him walking to the office and he told me what happened, I couldn’t believe it,” teammate Karalus Doyle said. “It’s not like he was a bad person, getting into trouble a lot. But because of this one thing, he was going to hurt himself and the team.”

Thompson transferred to San Fernando and then to Sylmar.

At both schools, Thompson said he was pressured to stay and play football but he never severed contact with coaches and friends at Kennedy.

“Guys would come up and say stuff, tell me I should play for a winner,” Thompson said. “But Kennedy was my family. I never seriously considered staying at Sylmar or anywhere else.”

Instead, Thompson spent the spring focusing on his grades and reaffirming his commitment to football.

When he returned to Kennedy last summer, he was still captain and he was ready to prove himself a complete leader.

“In his heart Damion is a very loyal kid,” Kennedy Coach Bob Francola said. “I never lost faith, never considered he wouldn’t be back.”

The Golden Cougars have several Division I prospects, but it’s hard to imagine where Kennedy (5-0), ranked fourth in the region, might be without its defensive anchor.

Halfway through the season, Thompson, 6-feet, 225 pounds, leads the team with eight sacks, three fumble recoveries and seven ‘Bad Cats’--Kennedy terminology for a devastating hit.

If Thompson holds his lead in ‘Bad Cats’ he will be the first player in school history to pace the team in that category three consecutive seasons.

And he can make the big play in pass coverage along with the big hit. In Kennedy’s season opener against Quartz Hill, Thompson helped break open a tight game with a third-quarter interception of a tipped pass. His 51-yard return set up the go-ahead touchdown and Kennedy hasn’t been seriously threatened since.

Such game-changing plays have been commonplace over the past three seasons.

“I remember a fourth-and-one play last year,” said San Fernando quarterback Keijuan Douglas. “We hand the ball off and Damion busts through and nails the guy for a five yard loss. He just crushed him.”

San Fernando won that game but Thompson and the Golden Cougars extracted revenge two weeks ago, sacking Douglas eight times in a 30-13 Kennedy victory.

The San Fernando game might best exemplify Thompson’s importance. The Tigers were so concerned with Thompson, that other Kennedy defenders were left free to stifle the elusive Douglas.

Thompson also plays a critical role on offense, serving as the blocking back for Antwane Smith, who is second among City Section rushers in the area.

“You ask him to do anything for this team and he’ll do it,” Francola said. “I know he likes defense more, but I know some college coaches look at him and see Jerome Bettis all over him.”

With a 2.7 grade-point average, Thompson is on track to receive a Division I scholarship if he achieves a qualifying score on the Scholastic Assessment Test.

Looking toward the future, Thompson spent the summer working on his pass-coverage footwork, anticipating a possible switch to defensive back in college.

“Since I started playing, I’ve wanted to go after the quarterback; he’s got the ball,” Thompson said. “But this makes me more complete. It sure helped against Quartz Hill.”

Thompson also has developed leadership abilities. Last year, he said, he might have been afraid to speak up, deferring to older players. But after his time away from Kennedy, he is no longer as bashful, but takes care to use positive reinforcement.

“As soon as he came back, you knew he was ready,” Doyle said. “He’s much more focused. This could have been a bad thing to happen to him. I’m glad he’s straightened up so he could come back.”

So are the rest of his teammates.