None of the Trimmings

DeAndre Phillips hears the complaints from classmates--too much homework, too many responsibilities, not enough free time--and he laughs quietly.

These people, he says to himself, don’t know what they’ve got. Their families were never strapped for money. They never had to worry about making rent payment on time. And they surely never went without Christmas gifts because of empty bank accounts.

Phillips will graduate later this month from Monroe High, but there’s little doubt he passed into adulthood several years ago.

The senior receiver might drop a pass--a rarity, but a possibility--in the Valley Youth Conference East-West All-Star football game tonight at Cal State Northridge.

If he does, the Iowa State-bound senior will simply head back to the huddle. There are worse things than a missed opportunity for a first down.

Phillips, a 5-foot-11, 185-pounder, has always been older than his years.

He and his two older siblings moved from St. Louis to Southern California with their mother in 1989, leaving behind their father, Wylie Phillips, and the only city they had ever known.

DeAndre formed a tight bond with his mother, Norma Green, after his parents’ divorce, making it easy to move with her so she could meet up with her fiancee, who had moved the previous year to the San Fernando Valley.

They had barely settled into their new home when the pain began for Green, who had been working as an assistant supervisor in a medical clinic. She felt discomfort in her wrists, perhaps the result of years of typing and writing.

In 1991, as the condition worsened, Green had surgery for carpal-tunnel syndrome in both wrists. She recovered slowly, needing more than six months before returning to work.

The pain persisted, leading to a second surgery in August 1993. This time, there was no returning to work. The condition in Green’s wrists left her disabled.

Green could not find a job--”a lot of people don’t hire disabled people,” she said--and earned worker’s compensation.

It wasn’t always enough to support the family.

“It was to the point where you didn’t know if you were going to make it to the next check,” Green said. “We were living check to check.”

The family finances bottomed out in 1996. There were no Christmas gifts for DeAndre, his sister, LaToya, or his brother Wylie.

“There wasn’t any money,” Green said. “I told them we’ve got each other and we’ve got food on the table. I told them that was all we had. It was tough.”

Shortly thereafter, Phillips, perceptive of the unsettling times, wrote his mother a poem entitled “The Woman in the Mirror.”

The poem implored his mother to keep looking in the mirror despite the family’s troubles. There’s something better in the near future, he wrote. Keep your head up.

His mother put the poem under her mattress. It’s still there, silently affirming all she has tried to do for her son.

*

There’s no underestimating the impact of football on Phillips’ life.

A natural talent, he excelled at running back and receiver for Monroe. He rushed for 755 yards and 14 touchdowns, and caught 28 passes for 551 yards and six touchdowns last season.

During his junior year, it was obvious Phillips would become something special. He had only 12 catches, but six went for touchdowns.

He rarely ever came off the field, playing cornerback and safety on defense and returning punts and kicks in addition to his duties on offense.

“I won’t have a hard time adapting to what I have to do [at Iowa State],” he said, laughing. “I’ve been playing a lot of positions since I started football. At first it was hard to believe, but then you get used to it.”

Football has also played a part in his social life, signaling a return to the good times. On game days last season, Phillips invited up to 10 teammates home for pregame dinner. His mother gladly obliged.

She has returned to the working world as an assistant supervisor at an electronics store, verbally training new employees and avoiding wrist-intensive work.

She knows how lucky she is. And she knows what’s in store for her son, who wrote powerful words of wisdom to her in a time of need.

“He’s blessed,” she said. “He knows he’s blessed. As long as he keeps his head on straight, he can make it. He’s made me proud.”

*

WHAT

East-West All-Star

Football Game

WHEN

6:30 Tonight

WHERE

Cal State Northridge

TICKETS

$7 adults, $3.50 children

12 and under