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A Kid's Life Worth Saving

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By BRETT McMURPHY

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 25, 2008

TAMPA - Selling drugs. Thug life. Clubbing, drinking, smoking, partying. That's what the "191 Boys" were all about. That was basically Kion Wilson's life - as a 13-year-old growing up in Miami.

"The things I did in middle school," Wilson said, "were what other guys were doing in high school."

What Wilson did one afternoon eight years ago ultimately saved his life.

After school one day, Wilson and his girlfriend, Brittany Lowe, were at the usual hangout near Risco Park across from Carol City Middle School. A kid walked up and called Wilson's girlfriend a derogatory name. Wilson made sure that was the last thing that kid said for months. He shattered the boy's jaw.

"I was violent. I used to fight a lot," Wilson said. "In Miami, it wasn't gang related, it was territorial. you had your clique, I had my clique. The simple thing as a wrong look would set me off. Broken jaws, eyes and stuff like that."

After that incident, Wilson said he was arrested and sentenced to nine months at the Bay Point Center, a juvenile detention center. "It was basically a jail for kids," Wilson said. "We didn't have cells or bars on our doors, but they locked us in our rooms every night."

During that nine-month stay, Wilson realized his life was spinning out of control. He decided he couldn't live that way anymore. Actually, he realized he wouldn't live if he didn't do something drastic.

Wilson told his mother they had to get out of Miami or he wouldn't survive. They moved to Jacksonville and Wilson immediately turned his life around. He took up football and became a standout linebacker at Jacksonville Raines High School. He's now starting for the University of South Florida.

"I wish I could have cloned him," Raines coach Cedric Thornton said. "He was one of the hardest workers I had. God gave him the talent. He just needed to get in the right environment."

Not Everyone Was As Lucky

Three weeks ago, Lowe, now a senior at Shawnee State University in Portsmouth, Ohio, was watching television on a Saturday night. Suddenly on the screen appeared No. 42 in a USF jersey.

It was her childhood boyfriend.

"I was like, 'Wow, Kion really made it. Oh my gosh, he really made it,'" Lowe said. "I texted him and told him I'm so proud of you. You're one of the few that made it.

"We still talk like that. How we're fortunate and we still made it out."

Not everyone was as lucky. Nicknamed the 191 Boys because they hung out on Miami's NW 191st Street, there weren't many success stories.

"As far as incarcerated, I'd say there are at least seven that got 10 years or more," Wilson said. "I know three that are dead."

Actually, four are dead, Lowe said.

"Scooter" was murdered his senior year in high school. About 18 months later, "Manny" was killed trying to rip off a drug dealer. A year after that, "Ant" was killed breaking into a drug dealer's house.

Ten months ago, Anasio Roberson was shot four times and killed in a drive-by shooting.

"When we first started out, it was cool for everybody to go to the front of the gas station and do whatever and then skip school then go to the back of the park," Wilson said.

"You went from everyone selling weed and you would advance. You'd start selling coke. I just sold marijuana, I didn't graduate to coke, but after everyone was selling it, you're not making a profit, so you'd have to do something else to get money."

Wilson said seven members of the 191 Boys were arrested for attempted bank robbery. Wilson knows he easily could have been among the casualties if he had remained in Miami. And he may have if not for getting arrested and being sentenced to Bay Point.

"Nine months in there was a lot of time to think," Wilson said. "I told my mom that's not what I wanted. I told her I didn't want to go back to Miami."

Glenda Wilson agreed. She moved Kion and his eight brothers and sisters to Jacksonville where Kion's father lived.

"I surrounded myself with the right crowd," Wilson said. "I got around positive people and sports was my thing."

After excelling at Raines, Wilson played two seasons at Pearl River Community College before enrolling at USF in January. He chose USF over Miami.

"His mom said I want to save my baby and got him out of Miami," Thornton said. "He decided I do have a future."

At Raines, Thornton said he uses Wilson as an example how one person can turn his life around.

"I use Kion's story daily," Thornton said. "He's one of my all-time favorite players because of his character. The way he is now is because of his character, that's truly who he is."

'Always Stay Hungry'

A 6-foot-2, 235-pound junior, Wilson has started all four games this season for the 13th-ranked Bulls. He only has six tackles and admits he still has a lot to learn.

"My attitude is always stay hungry," Wilson said. "I can never know too much."

Defensive coordinator Wally Burnham expects Wilson to continue improving.

"Kion is a tremendous worker," Burnham said. "We trust him and we believe in him."

Added senior strong safety Carlton Williams: "Being a new guy on a new team and learning a new defense, he's picked it up fairly well. You just have to go out there and do it."

Wilson said he plans to visit the Bay Point Detention Center and talk to the teenagers about how they can turn their lives around.

"I'm going to go down and speak to the guys in the facility," he said. "The biggest thing you have to do is change your surroundings. I know how it is. I was in your shoes and you can change. No matter what, you can change."

Reporter Brett McMurphy can be reached at (813) 259-7928 or bmcmurphy@tampatrib.com.

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