OU's prize catch: a back with backing
Neill family has treated Calhoun like one of their own
OU's prize catch: a back with backing

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By Jake Trotter
Published: January 20, 2008

VAN, Texas — Hank and Tracy Neill don't know exactly when Jermie Calhoun stopped being just their son's best friend and instead became their own son.

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It started with buying Calhoun clothes and other items he needed for school.

It ended with inviting Calhoun and his younger brother to move in with them.

"They've always treated me like their own son,” Calhoun said. "It's been such a blessing for me.

"I don't know where I would be without them.”

Calhoun, the top overall recruit out of the state of Texas,will attend Oklahoma on a football scholarship this fall.

On the field, life has been simple for Calhoun.

Before his senior year at Van High School even started, Calhoun emerged asone of the top-two running back prospects in the nation.

Then this past season, he accounted for 2,800 total yards and 36 touchdowns in just 10 games, drawing comparisons to the running styles of fellow East Texas running backs Earl Campbell and Adrian Peterson.

But off the field, Calhoun's life has hardly been simple.

"Throughout the young man's life, he's had extremely challenging family situations,” Hank said. "He's had to mature so fast, and for him to have the kind of heart, inner-strength, he has really captured my heart, really told me off the bat what kind of young man he was. And he has done nothing but reinforce that all along.”

First encounter
For as long as anyone can remember, Jermie Calhoun has always been the best athlete around.

That was the case when in the fourth grade Calhoun moved with his family to the area of Van, Texas, a school district comprised of about 2,500 people, located 70 miles east of Dallas.

"We didn't like each other at all at first,” said Peyton Neill, who would eventually become Calhoun's best friend. "I was the star athlete and all of a sudden it wasn't like that anymore.

"If you were on Jermie Calhoun's team in football, you were going to win and no one could do anything about it.”

After playing against each other in little league, the two finally played together on the seventh-grade football team.

On the first play of the season, Calhoun got the ball and ran over Peyton, who was trying to block for him, on the way into the end zone.

"I was at tight end and went to block downfield,” Peyton said. "Then I hear a voice that said ‘Move!' I turn around, and there's Jermie, like a giant looking at me. He slapped me down and went on to score like a 60-yard touchdown. I had a big, old, blue bruise on my chin for a week.”

From then, though, Peyton and Calhoun began to forge a friendship through sports.

By eighth grade, the two were inseparable.

"Everything we do now, we pretty much do together,” Peyton said.

Trouble at home
Though athletics have always come easy to Calhoun, life at home has not.

During his freshman year in high school, Calhoun began staying with the Neills at least a couple of nights a week.

Soon, he began bringing his one-year younger brother Emanuel with him.

"We started giving them monetary support, parental support, mentoring support,” said Hank, who owns a cabinet business. "That's when the relationships transformed into a parental relationship with them.”

Not long after his sophomore season when he ran for 1,803 yards and 23 touchdowns, big-time universities started showing interest in Calhoun.

So Calhoun turned to the Neills for direction and help.

"He really needed parental guidance,” said Hank, who has three kids of his own with Tracy, the youngest being Peyton. "And he really didn't have anyone in his life that really could have helped him with that.”

Hank took Calhoun to visit Texas A&M and OU.

Eventually, the Neills had to change the text message plan on Calhoun's cell phone because of the quantity of text messages he began receiving from college coaches.

"It was literally driving him crazy,” Hank said. "We wanted to give him the ability to put an end to it.”

In March, Hank called a meeting with Calhoun and Van football coach Brady Pennington.

That's when Calhoun decided he wanted to be a Sooner.

"I liked the small-town feel (of Norman),” Calhoun said. "I felt like I could fit in.”

Moving away
During the summer before his senior year, Calhoun's mother and stepfather divorced.

She moved to Tyler, about 30 miles away from Van.

But neither Calhoun nor Emanuel wanted to change schools or move from the community they had grown to love.

The two boys tried staying with the step-father.

Eventually, that no longer became a viable option.

So before the second game of the football season, Calhoun and Emanuel moved in with the Neills.

Permanently.

"I'm so thankful, them putting a roof over my head, taking me places,” Calhoun said. "They've always been there by my side.”

Because they were already part of the family, the transition was seamless.

"You ask him to take the trash out, he does it without saying a word,” said Tracy, an assistant principal at a Tyler elementary school. "He's sweet, loving — just like a son.”

With stability at home, Calhoun capped one of the most impressive careers by a running back in Texas high school football history.

As a senior, the 6-foot, 210-pound Calhoun ran for 1,910 yards, averaging almost 8 yards per carry.

He also threw for another 803 yards, splitting time at quarterback after the starter injured his elbow in the third game.

"We sometimes get kind of used to it, but when you go back and look at film, you're like wow, wow, look at that cut, look at that stiff arm,” Pennington said. "He's just blessed. But what I'll miss most about Jermie Calhoun is the example he set for the rest of our team. He always held them to a high accountability.”

Because of his blend of size and speed, Calhoun will have an opportunity this fall to prove he belongs in the running back rotation as a freshman, especially with Allen Patrick departing and DeMarco Murray recovering from knee surgery.

Back home, the entire town of Van, once a Texas Longhorn stronghold, will now be cheering for Calhoun and the Sooners.

"He's an icon here to every kid in every grade level,” Van assistant principal Rick Jones said. "He goes to the elementary kids every week, mentoring them, and they just love him, hang all over him.”

But Calhoun's biggest fans are still the Neills.

"The blessing has been ours, not his,” Tracy said. "He has blessed our family in so many ways.

"He fits as part of our family and we love him.”


 


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It says something about a program when they can get the 2 best players from Oklahoma, the 3 best players from Texas, the best player from New Mexico, the best player from Georgia and the best JC linebacker in the nation. Good job Stoops and staff. I look forward to watching these players for the next 4 or 5 years, and Stoops coaching till he retires at OU, God willing. Boomer Sooner.

Anthony, Idabel - Jan 28, 2008 at 3:17 am
I’m certain Texas will fabricate a much more “embellished” version of why they didn’t recruit Calhoun after signing day in hopes of having OU investigated. The NCAA probably has a full time guy living in Norman since about 1985 when they went after OU and others over TV rights.
Roger, Keller - Jan 23, 2008 at 10:29 am
The school for which Calhoun grew up wanting to play – Texas – didn't offer a scholarship because of academic concerns, Pennington said.

Calhoun has a 3.4 grade point average but did not meet the NCAA qualifying score on his first attempt at the ACT. He retook the test in June and is awaiting the result. He said he can handle college classes and vows to play four years in college even if the NFL becomes an option after his junior season......I like the 4 year portion of that article, but we will see if that holds true IF he does turn out to be as good as advertised

ROGER, MOORE - Jan 20, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Ben I think he has made it known he always wanted to be a Longhorn...I think UT backed off him in his Jr year because he didn't score well enough on his ACT...Probably did try and get back into the mix, but the damage had already been done
ROGER, MOORE - Jan 20, 2008 at 6:07 pm
"I understand Texas did not recruit Calhoun. Why?"
According to the recruiting podcast from Thursday or Friday, Texas did recruit him, and one of the reasons why he chose OU is because he liked the small town feel of Norman (which was mentioned in the article) more than Austin.
Ben, BEAUMONT - Jan 20, 2008 at 5:59 pm
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Another great TEXAS running back commits to OU for four years, plays two years and turns pro. Wonder when the NFL will start paying part of Stoops salary?
Jon, Cheyenne - Jan 20, 2008 at 5:41 pm
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"I understand Texas did not recruit Calhoun. Why?"...Understand they didn't offer because of academic concerns...I'm sure that pi**ed him off and the Sooners swept in and nabbed him...Good thing is he will have a chip on his shoulder when playing UT...That can only be good for OU
ROGER, MOORE - Jan 20, 2008 at 12:19 pm
You always hear of stories where most kids some from a rough background. I trust in the OU staff that they do some pretty lenghty backgorund checks on kids that want to play football. I wish Mr Calhoun the best and hope that he continues to do those things as a member of a top notch program.
Thomas, Fort Sill - Jan 20, 2008 at 11:43 am
Mr. and Mrs. Neills...Class people and it looks like Jermie is also going to be a "classy young man"....I sure hope so. OU is lucky to get him that is for sure!
Billy, Paris - Jan 20, 2008 at 11:27 am
Jake,
I read your article on Jermie Calhoun in Sunday's paper which was really good. In the box at the beginning of the article it said to go to Newsok.com to see video of Jermie, but I can't find it anywhere.
Where can i find it?
thanks, Eric
Eric, Norman - Jan 20, 2008 at 9:33 am
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I understand Texas did not recruit Calhoun. Why?
John, Texas - Jan 20, 2008 at 8:34 am
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