KansasSooner
7/4/2010, 12:39 PM
Nice Article about Jordan Phillips..
http://www.kansas.com/2010/07/03/1389483/circles-jordan-phillips-enjoys.html
Jordan Phillips was nursing swimmer's ear on a recent June afternoon. He sat on the couch, next to the woman he calls mom, mama, mother — depending on what he wants from her — clutching two throw pillows against his chest.
His mom leaned over and quietly told Phillips, a 6-foot-6, 300-pound nationally- prominent football player at Circle High, that he needed to turn off his cell phone so there would be no interruptions.
It was a classic mom move by Shelley Kinder, who moved fairly seamlessly into the role of Phillips' mother in 2007 when he moved into the family's home.
"She's my mom," Phillips said simply.
And Kody Kinder is his dad. Kanyon and Kolt his brothers. Kyrie his sister.
For a high school senior who has lost so much, Phillips appears to have everything.
***
"Now I have the whole family concept down. It's good to have that, to know you have it. Family is just people you can count on all the time, someone who will be there and will understand your decisions. Even if they're not the best (decisions), they'll be right there for you."
When Phillips was 2, his mother, Sherry Alford, was killed in a car accident, leaving him and two older siblings to be raised by her adopted parents, Willie and Irene Alford.
Phillips doesn't remember his mother, and he doesn't know his father, George, who has spent much of Phillips' life in prison.
"I don't consider him my dad. He just brought me into the world," said Phillips, who is aware his dad has other children but doesn't know them. ". . . I want to show I'm a better man than he was."
Phillips was raised in a loving Wichita home by his grandparents, who taught him to always answer with "yes, ma'am" or "no, sir."
But when Phillips, who lived in the Circle school district, was in sixth grade, his grandmother suffered a stroke and was in a coma. She lives in a care facility and is paralyzed on her right side.
His grandfather, who is now 78 and still works mowing lawns, was suddenly thrust into being a single parent. It was difficult to keep up, and Phillips began missing school and practices.
He got some help, such as rides to games and practices, from the families of his classmates, including Kanyon Kinder, Jake Frazier and Alex Gardinier.
But he was drifting.
"I think he was searching for a place to stay," said Shelley Kinder, 45.
Then, in the summer before his freshman year in 2007, Willie Alford, who did not want to be interviewed for this story, talked to the Kinders about his grandson.
"He blurted out, ‘Did you know Jordan wants to live with you?' " Shelley Kinder recalled.
Shortly thereafter, Phillips moved in with the Kinders.
"We both knew it was for the best and it was the best move at the time," Phillips said.
***
"At first I didn't have a goal, didn't have goals to do my work. . . . Then (mom) started grounding me just to push me."
Phillips doesn't just have a large frame, he is loaded with natural talent.
But he admits to not being particularly focused, in school and sports, during his freshman and sophomore years.
In school, he did what was necessary to remain eligible. In sports, his ability too often allowed him to skate by.
But in the Kinder home, the bare minimum isn't acceptable. Especially in academics.
They pushed him to work harder to overcome his attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. They pushed him to get better grades.
What got Phillips moving in the right direction, though, was when he received his first scholarship offer, from Kansas State in February.
His work ethic changed abruptly and, for the first time, he got As and Bs, except in English. He's taking summer school classes to raise his grades and will take the ACT again. Phillips and the Kinders are confident he will be an academic qualifier.
On the football field, Phillips is ready for the upcoming season. He thinks he has something to prove to those who think he's not good enough to play for a renowned program like Oklahoma. He committed to the Sooners on June 21.
He certainly has the skill.
Rivals.com ranked Phillips the state's second-best prospect and 12th in the nation for defensive tackles. Oklahoma lists Phillips as an athlete, meaning the Sooners think he has enough athletic ability to play elsewhere.
Phillips still plays basketball. He once considered playing in college and is on the same AAU team as Heights forward Perry Ellis.
At Circle he has been the kicker, punter, fullback, slot back, tight end, linebacker and an interior lineman.
What should make Phillips a greater force this season is his increased focus. He didn't play baseball in the spring for the first time, using his free time for schoolwork and weightlifting.
"I know I can dominate, but really right now I have to work on my conditioning," he said. "I was fat and sluggish last year in football camp. I wasn't as fast as I needed to be. I was losing races I shouldn't have lost. I could tell I wasn't where I should be. I've slimmed down and been lifting weights."
The change has been obvious.
"I've seen him grow up a lot," Circle coach Lee LaMunyon said. "When you're given the talents that he has, it comes pretty easy. I've seen him mature. It's fun to watch. In the last six months, it's been ‘I have to do things in a certain way to make things happen.' "
***
"It's a very welcoming home. If you want to come hang out and just be yourself, that's the place to go. They make it a really safe environment and they can talk to us."
Phillips and the Kinders have heard the comparisons to the 2009 movie, The Blind Side, many times.
The movie is based on Baltimore Ravens player Michael Oher, who grew up poor but moved in with a wealthy family in high school and went on to be a top college football prospect.
Several years ago, Shelley read the book, "Blind Side: Evolution of a Game," on which the movie is based.
"I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, I love this story,' " she said. "It's kind of weird because we get people all the time mentioning that we're like that.
"Wait a minute, we're not millionaires . . . and we've been living it for five years."
Moving in with the Kinders was a no-brainer for the family. Phillips and Kanyon had been friends since kindergarten, and they played the same sports on the same teams. There also was an available bedroom because Kyrie, the oldest sibling, was living in Wichita and playing basketball at Wichita State.
The family has had their share of amusing moments since Phillips moved in. People are often surprised to hear Phillips introduced as their son or brother. When Phillips introduced his parents to college coaches, they all recognized the coaches' widened eyes as they watched the white couple walk in.
Phillips is given all that the Kinders give their other children. He's disciplined the same way and his school picture sits on a mantel with the others.
Phillips is most like Shelley, a little scattered, a little disorganized and the first person to give a hug.
"The hugs are usually unwanted because he'll grab and hold on," Kody said, shaking his head and smiling.
The family loves to laugh. A favorite story is when Phillips forces Kody to say "I love you." Kody is a bit reluctant to say it, so Phillips finds humor in refusing to hang up the phone before he hears it from his dad.
Phillips is still close with his grandparents. For prom one year he visited his grandmother to show her how good he looked, and his grandfather comes to his games and all the Kinder family gatherings, including Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Phillips' life mirrors that of many teenagers, though.
His mom was furious when he got a tattoo; It was against family rules. He is expected to let his parents know where he is and where he's going. He's expected to do his chores.
Sometimes the rules infuriate him. Sometimes, when tension rises, he wants to leave — or shut himself in his room. He's working on that.
His relationship with Kanyon has changed, too. They're not so much best friends as family. Which is what Phillips prefers.
"All brothers have that brother-brother friendship and that brother-brother love," Kanyon said. "It's just grown so much so fast. He moved in freshman year and in these years, I've grown more with him than I have with my real brother. It's pretty cool get to get share that."
Read more: http://www.kansas.com/2010/07/03/1389483/circles-jordan-phillips-enjoys.html#ixzz0sjieKo1y
http://www.kansas.com/2010/07/03/1389483/circles-jordan-phillips-enjoys.html
Jordan Phillips was nursing swimmer's ear on a recent June afternoon. He sat on the couch, next to the woman he calls mom, mama, mother — depending on what he wants from her — clutching two throw pillows against his chest.
His mom leaned over and quietly told Phillips, a 6-foot-6, 300-pound nationally- prominent football player at Circle High, that he needed to turn off his cell phone so there would be no interruptions.
It was a classic mom move by Shelley Kinder, who moved fairly seamlessly into the role of Phillips' mother in 2007 when he moved into the family's home.
"She's my mom," Phillips said simply.
And Kody Kinder is his dad. Kanyon and Kolt his brothers. Kyrie his sister.
For a high school senior who has lost so much, Phillips appears to have everything.
***
"Now I have the whole family concept down. It's good to have that, to know you have it. Family is just people you can count on all the time, someone who will be there and will understand your decisions. Even if they're not the best (decisions), they'll be right there for you."
When Phillips was 2, his mother, Sherry Alford, was killed in a car accident, leaving him and two older siblings to be raised by her adopted parents, Willie and Irene Alford.
Phillips doesn't remember his mother, and he doesn't know his father, George, who has spent much of Phillips' life in prison.
"I don't consider him my dad. He just brought me into the world," said Phillips, who is aware his dad has other children but doesn't know them. ". . . I want to show I'm a better man than he was."
Phillips was raised in a loving Wichita home by his grandparents, who taught him to always answer with "yes, ma'am" or "no, sir."
But when Phillips, who lived in the Circle school district, was in sixth grade, his grandmother suffered a stroke and was in a coma. She lives in a care facility and is paralyzed on her right side.
His grandfather, who is now 78 and still works mowing lawns, was suddenly thrust into being a single parent. It was difficult to keep up, and Phillips began missing school and practices.
He got some help, such as rides to games and practices, from the families of his classmates, including Kanyon Kinder, Jake Frazier and Alex Gardinier.
But he was drifting.
"I think he was searching for a place to stay," said Shelley Kinder, 45.
Then, in the summer before his freshman year in 2007, Willie Alford, who did not want to be interviewed for this story, talked to the Kinders about his grandson.
"He blurted out, ‘Did you know Jordan wants to live with you?' " Shelley Kinder recalled.
Shortly thereafter, Phillips moved in with the Kinders.
"We both knew it was for the best and it was the best move at the time," Phillips said.
***
"At first I didn't have a goal, didn't have goals to do my work. . . . Then (mom) started grounding me just to push me."
Phillips doesn't just have a large frame, he is loaded with natural talent.
But he admits to not being particularly focused, in school and sports, during his freshman and sophomore years.
In school, he did what was necessary to remain eligible. In sports, his ability too often allowed him to skate by.
But in the Kinder home, the bare minimum isn't acceptable. Especially in academics.
They pushed him to work harder to overcome his attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. They pushed him to get better grades.
What got Phillips moving in the right direction, though, was when he received his first scholarship offer, from Kansas State in February.
His work ethic changed abruptly and, for the first time, he got As and Bs, except in English. He's taking summer school classes to raise his grades and will take the ACT again. Phillips and the Kinders are confident he will be an academic qualifier.
On the football field, Phillips is ready for the upcoming season. He thinks he has something to prove to those who think he's not good enough to play for a renowned program like Oklahoma. He committed to the Sooners on June 21.
He certainly has the skill.
Rivals.com ranked Phillips the state's second-best prospect and 12th in the nation for defensive tackles. Oklahoma lists Phillips as an athlete, meaning the Sooners think he has enough athletic ability to play elsewhere.
Phillips still plays basketball. He once considered playing in college and is on the same AAU team as Heights forward Perry Ellis.
At Circle he has been the kicker, punter, fullback, slot back, tight end, linebacker and an interior lineman.
What should make Phillips a greater force this season is his increased focus. He didn't play baseball in the spring for the first time, using his free time for schoolwork and weightlifting.
"I know I can dominate, but really right now I have to work on my conditioning," he said. "I was fat and sluggish last year in football camp. I wasn't as fast as I needed to be. I was losing races I shouldn't have lost. I could tell I wasn't where I should be. I've slimmed down and been lifting weights."
The change has been obvious.
"I've seen him grow up a lot," Circle coach Lee LaMunyon said. "When you're given the talents that he has, it comes pretty easy. I've seen him mature. It's fun to watch. In the last six months, it's been ‘I have to do things in a certain way to make things happen.' "
***
"It's a very welcoming home. If you want to come hang out and just be yourself, that's the place to go. They make it a really safe environment and they can talk to us."
Phillips and the Kinders have heard the comparisons to the 2009 movie, The Blind Side, many times.
The movie is based on Baltimore Ravens player Michael Oher, who grew up poor but moved in with a wealthy family in high school and went on to be a top college football prospect.
Several years ago, Shelley read the book, "Blind Side: Evolution of a Game," on which the movie is based.
"I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, I love this story,' " she said. "It's kind of weird because we get people all the time mentioning that we're like that.
"Wait a minute, we're not millionaires . . . and we've been living it for five years."
Moving in with the Kinders was a no-brainer for the family. Phillips and Kanyon had been friends since kindergarten, and they played the same sports on the same teams. There also was an available bedroom because Kyrie, the oldest sibling, was living in Wichita and playing basketball at Wichita State.
The family has had their share of amusing moments since Phillips moved in. People are often surprised to hear Phillips introduced as their son or brother. When Phillips introduced his parents to college coaches, they all recognized the coaches' widened eyes as they watched the white couple walk in.
Phillips is given all that the Kinders give their other children. He's disciplined the same way and his school picture sits on a mantel with the others.
Phillips is most like Shelley, a little scattered, a little disorganized and the first person to give a hug.
"The hugs are usually unwanted because he'll grab and hold on," Kody said, shaking his head and smiling.
The family loves to laugh. A favorite story is when Phillips forces Kody to say "I love you." Kody is a bit reluctant to say it, so Phillips finds humor in refusing to hang up the phone before he hears it from his dad.
Phillips is still close with his grandparents. For prom one year he visited his grandmother to show her how good he looked, and his grandfather comes to his games and all the Kinder family gatherings, including Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Phillips' life mirrors that of many teenagers, though.
His mom was furious when he got a tattoo; It was against family rules. He is expected to let his parents know where he is and where he's going. He's expected to do his chores.
Sometimes the rules infuriate him. Sometimes, when tension rises, he wants to leave — or shut himself in his room. He's working on that.
His relationship with Kanyon has changed, too. They're not so much best friends as family. Which is what Phillips prefers.
"All brothers have that brother-brother friendship and that brother-brother love," Kanyon said. "It's just grown so much so fast. He moved in freshman year and in these years, I've grown more with him than I have with my real brother. It's pretty cool get to get share that."
Read more: http://www.kansas.com/2010/07/03/1389483/circles-jordan-phillips-enjoys.html#ixzz0sjieKo1y