by Emanuel Lee, SM Daily Journal

Talk to any of Brandon O’Bannon’s coaches, and they have nothing but praise for the 2002 Jefferson High graduate.

“Everyone embraces Brandon because he’s such a good guy,” Skyline College basketball coach Justin Piergrossi said.

“Brandon is a great, great kid,” College of San Mateo football coach Larry Owens said. “He’s someone you’ll go to bat for because he’s got such a good heart.”

How good? Last year he turned down a football scholarship to the University of Minnesota-Duluth to stay at home with his mom, April Edwards, and help raise his two younger brothers, Bryenne and Anthony, and younger sister Arynjel. O’Bannon made the ultimate sacrifice, but he has no regrets. To understand why O’Bannon would take such extraordinary lengths to help out his family, one only has to go back to when he was 8-years-old. That’s the last time O’Bannon’s father was around on a regular basis.

“On one hand, I missed him, but on the other hand, I wouldn’t say him not being in my life affected me so much where it brought me down,” O’Bannon said. “I had to stay strong.”

Strong indeed. O’Bannon, already close with his mom and grandma, Gloria Edwards, developed an even stronger bond with the two most influential figures in his life. The maternal instincts they showed has been passed down to O’Bannon, who serves as a father figure for his three younger siblings. O’Bannon wakes up at 7 a.m. on weekdays to cook breakfast for his siblings, cleans up after them and gives Anthony a ride to school. While most kids get to go through their childhood without adult responsibilities, O’Bannon was forced to grow up in a hurry. His journey into manhood was accelerated after his father abandoned the family. When that happened, O’Bannon took on the role of being the man in the house, a provider and role model all in one.

“I want to make sure my brothers and sisters have the same opportunities that I did growing up,” O’Bannon said. “I want to tell them right from wrong. You see all the negative stuff on TV now, and kids get the wrong idea. Drug dealers are glorified and they’re seen as role models of the inner city, and everyone wants to be like them because of the fast money and reputation. Obviously, that’s not a life I want to see them go down. I want to keep them grounded.”

When the 6-foot-3, 190-pound O’Bannon was at Jefferson, no one could stop him from going airborne. He was a dynamic quarterback in the fall and a high-flying basketball player during the winter. His athletic exploits were so formidable that some dubbed him, “Air O’Bannon.” While he made onlookers breathless with his highlight-reel acrobatics, his effort in the classroom was nothing short of mediocre. Admitting that he didn’t take academics seriously in high school, O’Bannon endured a humbling life lesson when he wasn’t allowed to walk across the stage to pick up his diploma during high school graduation day because he hadn’t earned enough credits. O’Bannon felt guilty and ashamed, especially because he had let his mom and grandma down.

“I’ve learned my lesson and that motivates me,” said O’Bannon, who carries a 2.75 GPA at CSM. “I have a lot to live up to and I try to better myself.”

After taking a grayshirt in ‘02, O’Bannon, 21, embarked on a solid two-year career at CSM as a receiver. He chose to focus on football, but after turning down a scholarship, he still had two years of basketball eligibility left. He logs heavy minutes as an off-guard for a Skyline team that is in the middle of the Coast Conference North Division standings. At the community college level, he’s more known for his tough defense. Having not played organized basketball for over two years, O’Bannon said it’s great to be on the hardwood again. Piergrossi raves about O’Bannon’s attitude.

“Brandon never gives excuses,” Piergrossi said. “There’s no B.S. with him. He’s earned everyone’s respect really quickly for his unselfishness and blue collar work ethic.”

O’Bannon isn’t sure whether or not he’ll return to play another year at Skyline. He might land a football scholarship with Minnesota State, but if that doesn’t materialize, he’ll move on, content with his life.

“Passing up the scholarship was tough because I deterred my dreams,” O’Bannon said. “I figured I did everything at CSM that a couple of schools would still be looking to offer me something. If nothing else happens, this kind of lets me know that maybe sports wasn’t my calling in life. I’ll find a different career. No matter what, sports have been good to me. A big reason why I took up sports was so I didn’t get myself into negative stuff. It kept me busy and away from peer pressure.”

O’Bannon has never felt pressure in the athletic arena. For him, pressure has nothing to do with making a free throw in the final second or producing a catch when your team is trailing by a touchdown. Pressure is becoming a man in your early teens. Pressure is taking care of your loved ones, financially and emotionally. Pressure is sacrificing your own interests for the sake of your family. That’s pressure, and no one has dealt with it better than Brandon O’Bannon.