I laid the flowers on their graves and walked back to the sedan. I reached for my sunglasses to mask my emotions, trying to keep it together, and I managed. Martin opened the door for me, I got in, and we headed for LAX. After we arrived at the airport, Martin smartly opened the door, popped the trunk, and assisted me with my luggage.
“Martin, I really enjoyed chatting with you. You are indeed a class act.”
He smiled and said, “Glad you liked the service.”
I told him I was being posted to England within a few months and he should look me up if we were ever in town. We exchanged e-mail addresses. We shook hands, and then I briskly walked toward the terminal. After about ten steps, I remembered I had forgotten to tip him, so I doubled back. I was too late. As I saw his taillights merge into traffic, I couldn’t make out the license plate, but I did manage to read the company placard: Pernelli’s Executive Car Hire.
Epilogue
Jimbo never set foot on a mat again after the state finals in 1978. Jimbo Pernelli and Mary Suarez married several years later, but not to each other. Jimbo has three daughters, Candace, Amber, and Angelina, and a son, Brandon. He is the proprietor of a successful executive car hire chain in the Midwest. Jimbo, Mary, and Clay remain close friends to this day.
Clay Thompson enjoyed a successful wrestling career in the US Marines. Some of his wrestling highlights were:
• 2X Okinawa, Japan Armed Forces Freestyle Champion 163 pounds 1982–1983 (Undefeated in 1982).
• 2X All-Marine West Coast Regional Freestyle Champion in 1980 and in 1993 (163 pounds and 198 pounds).
Clay retired from the US Marines and now lives in a suburb of London, England, with his wife, Karen. Clay Jr. joined the USAF and is stationed near his dad in the UK. Clay is a referee during the Department of Defense high school wrestling season. In July of 2010, Clay restored his father’s dream car, a 1967 Ford GT500 Mustang.
Dina became a successful financial consultant with clients across the country. She is married with two daughters, Candace and Classy.
Martin is now a chauffeur for American Dreams, a nationwide car hire company in the United Kingdom, less than twenty miles away from Clay. Every now and then, the two meet up at the pub and watch football (English football).
Coach Pernelli finally attained his lifelong dream. He was inducted into the Coaches’ Hall of Fame three years later, posthumously.
This book is dedicated to my father, the late Reverend Dr. Eddie C. Thompkins Jr., and my mother, Ms. Brenda A. Lewis.
This story was inspired in part by my aunt, the late Winifred Martin (neé Thompkins), who struggled with mental illness for many years until her early death on September 19, 1992, at the age of 49. I saw her through the eyes of a child, and what I saw was a kind and loving heart. You are forever in our hearts, Aunt Winifred. We miss you.
Portrait of a High School Sports Legend
Photo Courtesy of Maggie Ross
Hubert D. Thompson, Proviso West
H.S. Alumni Class of 1997
The author would like to express his appreciation to Hubert D. Thompson for his contributions and accomplishments in the sport of high school wrestling in the state of Illinois. Hubert, also referred to as ‘Boo Boo,’ will probably be remembered as one of the most dominant wrestlers and athletes in state history. Hubert was named to five different all-state teams in three sports during his junior and senior years at Proviso West from 1996 to 1997 (Information obtained from Michigan State Football’s online player bio for Hubert Thompson).
Athletic Achievements
Wrestling
Senior year 1997
Perfect record of 22 wins and no losses
(Heavyweight State Champ) Junior year 1996
33 wins and one loss (disqualified) (Heavyweight State Champ) Pinned all opponents in state meet
1996–1997 record: 55 wins, 1 loss (47 pins)
Football
Ranked as the nation’s #1 defensive end and #7 player overall:
The National Recruiting Advisor
Two-time first-team all-state (1996 & 1997)
Recorded 120 tackles, including three sacks, and caused three fumbles as a senior
A single-game-high of 18 tackles, including two sacks, vs. Glenbard East in ‘96
Height/Weight: 6'6"/250 pounds
Ran 4.7 in the 40-yard dash
Track and Field
All-state selection (shot put) 5th in 1996
Hubert Thompson, thank you for representing Proviso West Wrestling with such grace and poise. Your accomplishments serve as an enduring source of inspiration for all of those who seek to push beyond their mental and physical limits.
I would also like to express my appreciation to Maggie Ross (Hubert’s mother) and Famous Hulbert (a football teammate) for making it possible for me to speak with Boo Boo. It was the best 2 a.m. phone call I ever made.
Hubert ‘Boo Boo’ Thompson’s Photo
Gallery
Thompson cradles to a pin in 1997 State Finals
1996 and 1997 Two-Time Heavyweight State Champion
Martin Reid (The best chauffeur in the business) and me (Cambridge, England 2011)
Proviso West Alumni
Please support the Proviso West Gridiron Club.
Send donations to the address below.
Proviso West High School
ATTN: Famous Hulbert
4701 Harrison Street
Hillside, IL 60162
Please make checks and money orders payable to the PW Gridiron Club.
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, I want to thank Jesus Christ, my lord and savior, for all the blessings I have received and those forthcoming.
My dad, Rev. T., for teaching me to be a man and being a source of wisdom and wise counsel. My mother, Brenda Lewis, for all of your years of positive reinforcement and nurturing. I love and honor you.
My wife, Karen, who put up with me spending countless hours on the computer. Thank you for understanding that there are some things I have to do. You are a blessing to me, and I love and appreciate you more than you know.
My son, Eddie. I hope that I am at least half the dad to you, as my dad was to me. Know that your mind is limitless, and never let anyone define your potential.
To the members of my family. Cheryl Keaton, the author of the gospel play Perfect Praise. You and Alfonso have been an absolute blessing with your inspiration and your constant testimonial. Chenelle and Sherri, you are the daughters I never had. Live your lives to the absolute fullest. Give Candance a hug for me. Melanie, Breanna, Hannah and Nathaniel, make plans to visit me in London, I love you guys. Misty, thank you for being a wonderful parental figure during my teen years and beyond.
Uncle Irvin, the author of the book, The Nervous Disorder, your outlook on life helped shape and mold me from an early age. I will never forget when you gave me all of your ‘cool clothes’ during my senior year in school. Thanks! Aunt Gloria, Cousins Jeremy, Tracy and Irvin Jr. Aunt Mariea, it is so nice to receive letters from you and hear how well Pure Hope Ministries is doing. Theron, Doria and Winston, I see you guys on Facebook; I’d like to see you guys here! You are anointed and truly blessed, and I am glad to have you as an aunt. Aunt Ann, as kids Cheryl and I always looked forward to seeing you, Jason, and Roland. No one knows how to have fun like you do. You always made us laugh. Aunt Venida, come visit soon!
Uncle Gregory, thanks for being a gem of a brother to my mother and a role model for me as a young Marine. Aunt Gladys, Germaine, Gregory Jr., Gabriel, Gershon. Uncle Marlon, thanks for being there for my mom, especially the time when you organized her retirement party. High props to you. Uncle Darryl, although your life was cut short, you helped groom me to be a young man while you lived with us. Aunt May, thanks for the pictures! My cousins, Cordell, Renee, Keith, Andrea, Theron, Doria, Tracy, Jeremy, Nikki, Ursula, Treva, and Dennis.
Special thanks to Maggie Ross (mother of Hubert Thompson) and Famous Hulbert (current Proviso West football coach) for maki
ng it possible for me to make contact with Hubert. God bless you both.
To my best friends in the whole universe, Jimmy Parker and Yolanda Brantley, your friendship to me has meant more than you guys will ever know. Jimmy, you are my brother, just from a different mother. Our thirty-plus-year friendship has centered me and made me truly appreciative! I will never forget when you took me to the hospital after I was dehydrated and stayed the night. Only a brother would do that. I think I still hold the Milles Bornes Championship belt! One day we have to go back to the Stumps in your new Audi A5. Yo Yo, I still remember leaving your house in the early hours of the morning after playing Bid. Thanks for looking after Eddie and me on the Rock, making sure we always had a place to spend family holidays.
To my good friend Nadina Taylor (neé Brown), thanks for your years of staying in contact and being an integral part of my youth. Keith Sheffield and Kevin Colder…Big Six to da board. Camille and Jerry, thanks for looking out for me during my retirement transition and countless other displays of kindness. Robin Oliver, A. Lightfoot, Terry and Martine Hogan-(Where are we doing New Years’ 2012?), Shanita and Xylina Hogan, Robert Tylor, Gwynn. S., F. Ballard, Ann Strachan, K. P. Miller, Nicole Goodwin, Tony ‘Soultrain’ Sotrines, Israel Archuletta, Andrew Wilson, Elise Deadwyler-Reed, Kevin Colder, A. Robinson, Dana Ferrell, Tammy Tinsley, Allison and Chris Port, Tony Bailey, Bryan and Pauline, Cris and Jo Sharp, Cryn Watts, Chris Starkey, John Frey, Hank LeFebre, Chad Malley (East Anglia MMA Champ), Tara and Jason Johns, Steve Ruder, Malcolm Scott, Wesley Phillips, Martin Read, my neighbors Tim and Gloria, Charlie and Danijela, Malcolm and Jenny, my in-laws Diane and John White, Louise and Chris Horn, Gaynor and Steve Graham, David and Matthew Leadbitter.
To all my friends and teammates at Proviso West, thanks! Mike Pendola, Jerry Tully, John Cassagrande, Donna Hruska, Donna and Dawn Kasik, Frank Lyne, Martha Howden, Barbara Fisher, Evelyn Brown, Bob Smith, Craig Puckett, Derrick Hamilton, Venisha and the late Vanessa Watt, Gail Greene (neé Sanders), Terry Morrison, Tammy George, Cletus Howard, Desiree Pritchett, the late Aubrey McAlpine, Vicky McAlpine, Miranda Ward, Debbie and Karen Parham, Evelyn Brown, Kim Humphries, Kenneth and Sabrina Beard, Clint Brown.
Coaches: Craig Rosengren, Tony Firovanti, USMC 1st Lt. Kerkow, Mr. Ed Yonkus, Howard Current, AHS Coach Bruce Ballard, KOA Wrestling Commissioner Al Shaff, Larry Wieczorek, Mr. Donoho, Mr. Green, Mr.
Mcleary, Mr. Snyder, and the late Mr. Sutherland.
Wrestlers Den: Tom Yudys, Tim Bend, Henry Polancyk, Dennis Smith, Thomas Yassen, Marvin Burrows, Howie Marella, LaRock Benford (USMC Sgt Major ret. and stud wrestler), Pat Yonkus, Willie Staples (State Champ 1976 Proviso East 112 pounds).
Special thanks to Greg Gibson (USMC MSgt ret.), my coach at the All-Marine trials at Quantico, Virginia in 1989. In a career that graced almost thirty years, you were the only American wrestler to win world medals in three international styles: Greco-Roman, Freestyle, and Sombo. And, of course, your silver medal in the 1984 Olympics. Congratulations on your induction into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma, in 2007.
About the Author
E. Clay grew up on Chicago’s south side in Hyde Park in the early 1960’s during the de-escalation of the civil rights movement. In 1975 when he was fourteen, his family moved to Bellwood, Illinois (School District 209). In early December 1976, Proviso Township High School District 209 was given until Christmas to come up with a desegregation program, in compliance with Illinois Office of Education (IOE) requirements (Forest Park World, December 8, 1976). The State Board of Education directed District 209 to implement a plan to achieve racial balance (minimum of 15% minority population) within 2–3 years.[xii] If the school board resisted, the district would have been placed on probation and eventually would have lost its status as an accredited school district. According to a New York Times article, some felt the realignment threatened the homogeneity of the school environment.
It was this time period between 1975 and 1979 that shaped and influenced the way E. Clay viewed life. During the sometimes tumultuous challenges he (and others) faced being a minority student at Proviso West, there was always a greater good that prevailed. This greater good manifested itself through his significant friendships with teammates, classmates and faculty staff, irrespective of race. Although some racial hesitance was experienced on both sides, athletics was a way for all to come together for a one common cause: to win. Organized sports required teammates to work together, and along the way, preconceived ideations eventually gave way to personal experiences. This experience was echoed throughout his US Marine Corps career: one team, one fight.
After retiring from the US Marine Corps, E. Clay relocated to the United Kingdom where he lives with his wife Karen. In 2006, His son accepted orders on behalf of the US Air Force to the United Kingdom. Father and son are neighbors, living on the same English estate in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire.
A special-needs high school phenom is on the way to his first wrestling state championship; the only obstacle standing in his way is one of the most successful high school wrestling coaches of all time from a rival school, his own father. This story also captures the budding friendship between two athletes from different cultural backgrounds. Their friendship, threatened by the unintended consequences of school busing would change both of their lives forever. Meanwhile, father and son are on an emotional collision course as the father coaches against his own son in the state championship finals. Losing is not an option for either. For one, name recognition and legacy are at stake; for the other, his father’s respect and approval.
Who will win?
Every generation bears witness to a super athlete, for whom greatness calls. Flagrant Misconduct is the story of such an athlete...who changed my life. —The Author
End Notes
[i] A nickname often used by US Marines to describe the Japanese island Okinawa
[ii] (n) Marine slang for ‘Okinawan cab driver’
[iii] Thank you very much; Japanese translation
[iv] (n) a one-piece, tight-fitting, colored uniform, usually made of Spandex, lycra, or nylon
[v] ‘Burnouts’ was a name we gave to all the druggie kids who smoked cigarettes in the courtyard between classes.
[vi] (v) Slang: To get beaten up by a large, angry group of people. Literally, to get rushed by bums or lowlifes.
[vii] (n) Slang: young Black female
[viii] A weekly swimsuit model featured in the Black publication Jet
[ix] A form of dance that Black culture developed out of ‘The Bop,’ similar to salsa and swing
[x] A popular line dance during the Disco era, predecessor to the ‘Electric Slide’
[xi] Excessive scar tissue from blood clotting due to trauma, causing permanent, odd-shaped thickening of the outer ear. A common injury among wrestlers and boxers.
[xii] New York Times (29 May 1994) ‘We’re All Racists Now’ Retrieved on 28 May 2011 from https://www.nytimes.com/magazine
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