Blindside 2.0 - Basketball Star Raised by Working Class Twentysomething Mentor
What started as a chance encounter in the summer of 2005 - when eighth-grader, Jonathan "Sponge," Holton, an aspiring basketball star - first met Darren Weissman, an already established private basketball trainer and head coach of his very own AAU team - has blossomed into a Blindside-like relationship.
Fast-forward to today, as Sponge prepares for freshman life on the University of Rhode Island (URI) basketball team, where he is being heralded as the highest rated recruit since former URI Ram legend and Los Angeles Laker star, Lamar Odom.
Holton was nicknamed Sponge after the cartoon character, "Sponge Bob Square Pants," by his elementary-school gym teacher, who found him to be both energetic and playful. Weissman, whose friendship with Sponge hatched when he began driving him home from practice and treating him to meals, soon uncovered another side to him. “Sponge is the most competitive kid I have ever met. He flat out hates to lose even more than he loves to win,” said Weissman. “He is a dichotomy. Off the court he is a soft-spoken and good natured kid, but when he walks on the court - look out!”
Watching him during the interview, Sponge’s childhood nickname still suits him well as he is in constant motion - dribbling the basketball and even raining down three pointers – showcasing his basketball talents as well as his multi-tasking capabilities. Throughout his roller coaster career he has consistently worked hard and absorbed every bit of advice – just like his namesake - Sponge. Sponge's legacy runs far deeper than his silky smooth three-point jumper, dominant inside game, GPS guided passing ability, a great handle on the ball for a big man, and sheer toughness. It is his father-type relationship with Weissman that makes his improbable journey and story so remarkable and heart-warming at the same time.
Sponge has spent the past five-years living with Weissman in his tiny, one-bedroom apartment - where a living room couch serves as his bed - a bit confining for someone with a 6'-9" frame. While Sponge's story mirrors "Big Mike” Oher's saga in the movie "The Blindside," there is one distinct difference - Holton has maintained a close relationship with his mom and aunt and attributes their guiding force in raising his Grade Point Average (GPA) to a respectable 2.8. "My mom and aunt helped me stay focused as a student," said Sponge. "And the last few years my mom came to practically all of my basketball games."
Also, contrary to the movie “The Blindside,” Sponge's issue was not with his family. It was more about square-feet and living in a safe and positive environment, devoid of unproductive, off-the court distractions. With nine brothers and sisters as well as his aunt (the homeowner), and mom, there simply was not enough room in their crime-ridden, one bed-room, West Coconut Grove house for the hyper-active youth. “I came from a roughneck neighborhood and saw it all – fights, drugs, and yes even people toting guns,” said Sponge. “And on top of that I was a bit of a hot head so my situation was like a time bomb ready to explode.”
Perhaps, Sponge's Sputnik moment manifested in eighth grade when he boldly asked Weismann - with his family blessing - if he could move in with him after only knowing him for six months. Weissman didn't hesitate and welcomed him into his household with open-arms. "I wasn't being opportunistic due to Sponge’s unlimited but untapped basketball upside when I agreed to have him move in with me," Weissman said. "I was more afraid that he might end up in jail, drop out of school or just become a product of his own environment." Weissman offered Sponge free room and board and basketball training in exchange for his willingness to follow everything his future mentor decreed both on and off the court. "I didn't view Darren's expectations of me as rules," said Sponge. "I just tried to stay focused on the court and in the class room and then everything else fell into place."
So for the next five-years, Sponge and Weissman were roommates and Weissman’s relationship with Sponge and his family became so close Sponge’s mom referred to Weissman as his father and his aunt took it one step further by affectionately nick-naming him the Blindside. Weissman and Sponge’s extraordinary kinship has continued to flourish both on and off the basketball court. Weissman, the father-figure Sponge yearned for, provides him with the critical support he requires to attain his lofty but realistic goal – NBA hoop stardom. “I basically took Sponge under my wing and accepted full responsibility of his life,” said Weissman. “Hopefully, one day Sponge will be in a position to help others out.” "I still remember the first time I met Sponge. He was so skinny," Weissman recalled. "He was wearing a huge cast and it was a struggle for him to just lift up his arm.”
Sponge’s unconventional path to becoming one of the premier high school basketball players in Florida wasn’t always so clear cut. At the time Weissman began working with him, Sponge was only 6'-0" and was middling on his talent-laden AAU team. Nevertheless, despite Sponge's less than stellar first impression - Weissman envisioned a diamond in the rough. "Sponge wasn’t the prototype tall, strong, or skilled player at the time, but what separated him from the others were the intangibles he brought to the team. He had non-stop energy and he wasn’t going to let anyone box him out for a rebound," Weissman reflected.
As Sponge matured physically he began to thrive on the basketball court. Prior to suiting up for his junior season with Coral Gables Senior High, the team had won only five games the previous season. Enter the Sponge era. Riding the caboose of the Sponge express, the Coral Gables Cavaliers won 20 more games - paving the way for back-to-back District and Greater Miami Athletic Conference titles – a team feat last accomplished 20 years ago.
Sponge continued to improve dramatically each year, but it was his senior year where his statistical growth was most pronounced. Sponge’s numbers sky-rocketed from 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 6 block shots per game his junior season to an off-the-charts 27 points, 18 rebounds, and 7 blocked shots per game as a senior. Sponge was named Florida Class 6A First-Team All-State, led the entire state in rebounds and blocked shots and was being recruited by an avalanche of schools including NCAA heavyweights Illinois, Minnesota, Temple, Providence, University of Miami, Missouri and North Carolina State.
Sponge put up some surreal numbers during his story-book high school career. It wasn’t uncommon for him to register video-game performances like 31 points, 17 rebounds, 10 assists, and 8 blocked shots as he was ever so close to breaching rarely chartered territory - a quadruple double.
During the latter part of Sponge’s senior year, he opted to enroll at the University of Rhode Island, where he is already considered by many close to the program as a strong candidate to replace recently graduated NBA prospect, Delroy James, at the starting power forward position. Since Sponge saved his best high school basketball for last - during the final stretch of his senior year from November 2010 to April 2011 - his stock metastasized. As a result of his torrid finish, suddenly, Sponge was unofficially declared a person of interest in a nationwide manhunt to render his basketball services by established BCS programs that frequent the NCAA tournament. These schools undoubtedly offered more exposure, a higher level of competition, and a better shot at getting noticed by NBA scouts than URI, a program teetering on the brink of mediocrity or prominence.
During the latter part of Sponge’s senior year, he opted to enroll at the University of Rhode Island, where he is already considered by many close to the program as a strong candidate to replace recently graduated NBA prospect, Delroy James, at the starting power forward position. Since Sponge saved his best high school basketball for last - during the final stretch of his senior year from November 2010 to April 2011 - his stock metastasized. As a result of his torrid finish, suddenly, Sponge was unofficially declared a person of interest in a nationwide manhunt to render his basketball services by established BCS programs that frequent the NCAA tournament. These schools undoubtedly offered more exposure, a higher level of competition, and a better shot at getting noticed by NBA scouts than URI, a program teetering on the brink of mediocrity or prominence.
URI had to sweat it out a little before Sponge actually signed his National Letter of Intent (NLI) with the Rams. URI, as a Mid-Major and step child to the BCS appeared to be outclassed by the large and wealthier institutions. In the past four-years 82 BCS players entered the first round of the NBA draft. But, in the end, Sponge proved to be a man of his word. After verbally committing to attend URI in November 2010, he waited until the Early Signing period in April 2011 before converting his verbal agreement into an official NLI signature – much to the relief of the URI coaching staff and the Ram Nation. “I wanted to continue establishing a relationship with the head coach and staff before making my final decision,” Sponge explained. "Sponge respected the way URI head basketball coach Jim Baron and his staff conducted the whole recruiting process," said Weissman. "They never pressured us or criticized competing schools and painted a clear picture on how I would fit into the URI system. They basically made me feel like I would be a part of their family." Weissman added that Baron's penchant to push the ball up the court fits Sponge's explosive and multi-faceted game to perfection.
When questioned whether Sponge could break into the starting five, Baron would not rule out that scenario which would be a milestone considering the fact that the last Ram freshman to actually start the majority of the season was Parfait Bitee, in 2004. “Jonathan is a terrific young man who has worked hard to get where he is today,” said Baron. “He has a great physique with tremendous upside and is a phenomenal defensive player.” “He is coming to URI at an opportune time as four of our players have graduated, including three starters.” Baron added. “Weissman has done a great job serving as his mentor and being that positive influence in his life.”
So what bill of goods are the Rams - who have not reached the NCAA for well over a decade (1999) - getting from Sponge? How about a player with a towering wingspan, who can score in bunches either by spotting up for a Kevin Durant-like feathery three point jumper or by whirling to the basket and finishing with a “Statue of Liberty” 360 degree dunk. A player, with a Dennis Rodman mentality, who is absolutely convinced that he has a lien on every rebound. A point forward, modeling his game after Lamar Odom, who can unleash an outlet pass with pinpoint accuracy to a teammate for an easy two or thread the needle on a packed zone defense with a no-look pass to an open man down low. And a player, who once blocked seven shots - not in one game - but in one quarter.
Despite posting gaudy numbers on the hardwood, Sponge has had to overcome a number of obstacles in the real world. His preteen years were spent navigating or better yet roaming through a minefield - the mean streets of the West Coconut Grove, an economically challenged outlying area of Miami’s tropical tourist haven – Coconut Grove. Growing up, Sponge had to adjust to the awkwardness and stress of attending three different high schools in four years. Sponge played as a freshman at Calusa Prep, a sophomore at La Salle Academy, and punctuated his scholastic whirlwind tour as a junior and senior at Coral Gables Senior High.
Then there was Sponge’s bout with a form of anemia that spawned hundreds of ulcers during his sophomore and junior year - hospitalizing him for one week and requiring him to receive multiple blood transfusions. As a footnote, Sponge has recovered completely from anemia. And there were the street fights. When Weissman first met Sponge and asked him why he was wearing a cast, Sponge slyly replied: “I broke my knuckles on someone’s face.” Since that time Weissman has taught Sponge to channel this energy positively by proving his mettle on the basketball court rather than on the street.
On the home-front, Sponge sometimes frustrates Weissman like any other teenager gets underneath their father’s skin.. "I wish Sponge would pick up the dirty dishes and put them in the dishwasher like he puts back baskets in his games," Weissman chided. Sponge has enjoyed his time with Weissman off the court. One of his favorite past-times was annihilating Weissman at video games, an activity that has since been discontinued due to extenuating circumstances. “Darren and I no longer play 2K (a popular basketball video game).” Sponge snickered. “I retired him a long time ago.”
Along the way, Weissman has had to surrender some of life's basic comforts resulting from his unique living arrangement with Sponge. "Sometimes I missed watching late-night games on the big screen television situated in Sponge’s room or formerly known as the living room which was off-limits on school nights."
Weissman, who does not have the financial wherewithal of the Tuohy family - portrayed in the Blindside Academy Award Winning picture, has had to dig deep into his wallet to support Sponge. Weissman’s generosity had no boundaries and extended to the rest of Sponge’s family as well. During one Christmas, Weissman along with one of his buddies played Santa by showering Sponge and his family with a raft of Christmas gifts as well as a Christmas tree tied to the roof of his car - eliciting tears of joy from the Sponge clan. It is a hard to imagine two people like Weissman and Sponge geographically parting ways when Sponge leaves for school this fall. But both Weissman and Sponge are not crestfallen. Weissman plans to act as a “helicopter dad,” by texting him on a daily basis to make sure he is on the right track. Weissman is not concerned that Sponge and he will drift apart. “Sometimes distance has a way of making you closer.
As for Sponge, he has a more practical view of his imminent departure to URI. “At least now Darren will get his couch back,” Sponge quipped. Now as Part One of Sponge's quest to climb to the acme of basketball heights draws to a close, all the hard work he has endured under Weissman's tutelage is beginning to pay substantial dividends.
The five am workouts, the painstaking and demanding ball handling and footwork drills, and the grueling strength training sessions, have all laid the foundation for Sponge to achieve a dizzying array of prestigious accolades and accomplishments his senior season including the “D1 Hoops Report” High School Top 150 basketball ranking (144 ranking) as well as Miami Dade County’s scoring title. Weissman - whose full-time gig is CEO of “Got Game Miami,”- a company that offers youth, one-on-one basketball skills training - has made it his personal crusade to inject his flashy, but fundamentally sound ball-handling skills into Sponge's arsenal of moves, a talent most 6-9, 220 pound, power-forwards rarely possess.
Off the court, Ed Downs, a renowned, personal trainer for prominent athletes, has been working with Sponge on his core strength training. Downs’ impressive portfolio of clients represents the “Who’s Who” of professional athletes including Chicago Bull Carlos Boozer, Pittsburgh Steeler Lamar Woodley and the entire Miami Heat Basketball Team. Downs believes Sponge has benefitted appreciably from Weissman's ability to open doors for him. One such opportunity involves Sponge’s inclusion in Downs’ star studded group workout comprised of a starting NBA center and top-notch college basketball player to name a few.
While Sponge was never homeless walking the streets like Big Mike in "The Blindside," his transformation from the path of a troubled youth into a blue chip basketball recruit is just as compelling.
And even before he steps on the Ryan Center court (the home of the URI Rams) this fall, he is already a winner.
