Cliff Kirkpatrick

Last weekend the Oregon State football stayed in Pasadena, Calif., when it played at USC. S Lance Mitchell grew up in that town, and escaped gang life in that community.

I bring that up because he used his own time off between settling in to the hotel and team meetings to speak to children in the Pop Warner program he went through about his life, staying out of trouble, going to school and playing football.

I am a fan of good people. Mitchell is an example of that. Over the years covering this team I’ve found many good people and I wish the best for them. Mitchell is one of them.

I would link a story I did during training camp on Mitchell talking about this for you to review, but since the GT went to a knew online system old stories have been lost. So, here it is again:

From where he came from to where he is now, Lance Mitchell looks back proudly and considers himself a role model.

Each day the safety is with the Oregon State football team is an escape from a past that was surrounded by the gangs in Pasadena, Calif.

When most people think of his hometown the Rose Bowl and Rose Parade come to mind.

However, there’s a wrong side of the tracks in even the wealthiest towns.

“Around the corner from the Rose Bowl is Jackie Robinson Park where I played Pop Warner, and certain apartments,” Mitchell said. “It was all around.”

Mitchell had a Pasadena zip code, but he was an inner-city product. He couldn’t avoid gang life with family and friends involved.

Gang members attended family gatherings, sporting events, school and visited his home.

“I was close to a lot of that stuff,” Mitchell said. “It’s hard not to be associated with it. Thankfully, a lot of my time was consumed by playing sports.”

He was tempted to join a gang when he was young, but stayed away following the advice of his father and uncle. They guided him toward sports, and pointed out he had to make the grades to be eligible.

Mitchell also saw what was going on with his older friends, who were getting in trouble with the law on a regular basis.

“He’s a good person,” defensive coordinator Mark Banker said. “At home they expect a lot out of him academically. And here, he wants to do what it takes to be the best he can be. You can’t ask for anything more.”

Mitchell wouldn’t give details about what he experienced, but said he witnessed gang fights and drug deals.

Being smart about where he went, knowing the time of day and what color of clothes he wore kept him safe.

“I call it a trap,” Mitchell said. “It seems like so much fun at the beginning when it’s all fun and games. It’s kind of appealing, hanging out, doing little stuff. Then it becomes a big problem with drugs and violence. It’s serious when you get older.”

His father lived in the nearby community of Altadena, and he had to make sure he didn’t wear much red when he visited or he’d be in danger as a different gang controlled that area.

Mitchell wasn’t forced into gang life by family and friends because he excelled in athletics. He became their representative, first regionally and now nationally.

Scout.com rated him the 29th best safety prospect in nation after the 2006 season at Muir High. Football became his way out.

“I think I was shielded by it by them because they knew I had something else going for me,” Mitchell said.

He was left alone to work out, practice and study for school. Seeing his friends run around at all hours while he stayed away from trouble wasn’t fun for a teenager, but he sees the wise choice it was now that he’s at OSU.

The Beavers are the type of program he wanted to play for. The laid-back atmosphere suited him, and has helped him develop a mature outlook on life.

“You go home and everybody is doing the same thing,” Mitchell said. “Nobody matured. They are not doing anything different. They are hanging out in the same place. I feel I’ve grown up, being in college. I still associate with some of my old friends, but it’s not really the same.”

When he visits home, Mitchell takes time to speak to Pop Warner teams and students at his alma mater. After he’s done at OSU he plans to do more inspirational speaking to youths.

Mitchell has seen several people with potential, academically and athletically, waste their opportunities because they don’t know how to take advantage of them.

If he can succeed, he can be a blueprint for them.

“There are so many other role models they see making fast money, but I want them to see someone else doing something positive,” Mitchell said. “I want to be that so I can show them I have an education, have a degree and working to be a good citizen.”

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Related posts:

1. Mitchell story
2. Cliff: USC memories
3. Bowl predictions
4. Poyer interview