Heh what a crazy set of coincidences...
I went to a small school for middle and high school. It was a 6-12 school. As I entered high school, this little kid showed up in the lower school, MAYBE 5 feet tall. His mom was always around, "Hi! I'm B.W.'s mom," she would always say. Everybody recognized her, and enjoyed having her around school. She was always smiling, and always involved with B.W.
As the years went on, he was one of the most well liked kids in the entire school. How many middle school kids are well liked by upper schoolers? It wasn't as if he hung out with us, or ate with us, but everybody loved him. He was an incredibly charming, albeit cocky, kid. I specifically remember a moment when the whole school was in the gym for a pep rally, and we were having inter-grade competition. BW was picked to compete against an older kid. It was just a silly competition, having to moonwalk from one end of the gym to the other. As they set off the other kid did some sort of goofball moonwalk, just shuffling his feet, but not B.W...He glided across the gym floor in the smoothest moonwalk I've ever seen, and the entire gym erupted in screams, applause, and laughter. It was shocking how smooth it was, but at the same time you kind of expected it to be awesome, because it was B.W.
I never did play football with him, as he was too young to play varsity when I was there, but I did get to see him play when I went back for homecoming one year. I remember him still being tiny, 5'2 MAYBE. 120lbs soaking wet and holding dumbells. But when he got the ball (he was playing one of the wings in our triple option) he was so smooth and slippery. I just shook my head and laughed, watching him make kids so much bigger than him look stupid.
Fast forward to the semester I graduated from William and Mary...I'm entering a bookstore in Williamsburg (about 30 minutes west of where the previous paragraphs took place) and I see a familiar face. "Hi, this is B.W.'s mom," she said in to her cell phone with that familiar smile on her face. I didn't stop and talk to her as it had been a few years since I last saw her. Maybe B.W. is at William and Mary I wondered to myself. That would be pretty awesome I thought. I never bothered to look it up, and probably forgot a few days later. William and Mary almost always redshirts its freshmen anyways.
I moved to Boston the following fall, and was lucky enough to watch William and Mary play UVA on TV up here. It's a rare treat for WM to be on tv in the first place, never mind up here. A lot of my good friends from high school went to UVA so this was pretty exciting. I was just hoping WM didn't get crushed in all honesty. I end up missing the beginning of the game so I don't see the starters introduced which perhaps made the following even more exciting and dramatic, but UVA throws an interception. I jump up, cheering. Woohoo! My jaw drops when they say who picked it off. B.W. Webb! "Oh man I know that guy," I say to my girlfriend (now my wife). Later on in the game another interception by B.W. I'm lovin it. I can't believe this kid that everyone loved ended up playing football at my alma mater to begin with. Nevermind that he'd ball out of control and stick it to my UVA friends (remember they also went to High School at HRA when B.W. was in the middle school).
The game's in the fourth quarter, and close. The trash talking texts and phone calls are flying back and forth between my friends and I. WM tacks on a field goal to go up by 5 with about 4 minutes to go. UVA gets the ball and has to score. The clock's ticking, they're driving. I'm thinking, "Oh god here it comes. The heartbreaking last second score. I'll never hear the end of it." I shoulda known better. About 2 minutes to go. Interception. B.W. There he goes. Pick six. Game!
Now this kid that's been linked to me through schools and sports since I was a teenager gets drafted by my Dallas Cowboys. What a crazy coincidence.
I haven't been in touch with him for years, and like I mentioned, even though this little kid in middle school was probably the coolest kid around, we didn't hang out, and we weren't more than acquaintances so I won't have any insider information. I just love that before the draft I was calling people up telling them, "Hey B.W.'s going to get drafted! Maybe even as high as the third round! Can you believe that?" Then he goes ahead and gets picked by the team I live and breathe.
Now for what I saw firsthand, complete with totally biased information:
Great feet.
Smooth hips. (I personally think this is of vital importance for any DB. I can never understand why teams draft DBs with stiff hips)
Really smooth runner with nice long speed. Good returner, and good running after an interception.
Really nice hands.
Great instincts and intelligence.
Great kid. Sweet and charming (at least he was) while still having plenty of "swag."
I can't wait to hear "Hi! I'm B.W.'s mom" around VR or at training camp! :laugh2:
