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University of Minnesota Athletics
The Lion of the Family
11/26/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 26, 2014
"I knew I had what it takes to get this team where we wanted to be," Thompson said. "I know the Big Ten Championship is obviously our goal. We're still shooting for that with everything we have. But my role as a leader was more of building and maintaining relationships to make sure that when people leave here, they can maintain relationships.
"That's why I always disciplined everyone to make sure everybody got to know everybody really well... That's why, whenever I break it down, I always break it down with 'family.' I want everybody to come as a family instead of just being out here trying to win games. It's about winning games, but it's really about us collaborating as a team and learning things for later on in life."
Thompson took charge during the offseason. Before camp started, he worked on technique and some basic game-planning with young teammates in voluntary, player-led sessions.
"So once we got into summer camp, they were 10 steps ahead of where I was when I was a freshman," Thompson said. "I didn't really have anybody teaching me at all. So it feels good to see that they're really high up in our playbook, and it feels good to know that I and some of our other guys helped them."
"He took me in pretty much under his wing," freshman defensive back Craig James said. "He was a great leader in camp and during the summer… He helped me out with learning the plays and staying focused during film."
Thompson organizes some of those film sessions on his own, rounding up teammates even after they just spent hours in meetings and practice. Defensive backs coach Jay Sawvel has been impressed with Thompson's ability to get people organized.
"I think really, the biggest thing is, because of everything he's been through, the toughness that he has and the love that he has for football, he has people's respect," Sawvel said.
That toughness results from a lifetime of overcoming obstacles. In a story that has appeared in newspapers, BTN's "The Journey" and a documentary called "Bombay Beach," Thompson worked to break free from gang violence and other negative influences around him.
"I've been put in a lot of situations where I was forced to be a leader," he said. "I'm the oldest out of three siblings. When my mom and dad got divorced I had to make decisions in the house. I had to choose the right path. A lot of my family are in jail. A lot of them are dead. A lot of them are gang members. I always had to lead people that that's not the life to live."
Thompson moved to Bombay Beach, Calif., at age 15 to get away from the gang violence that surrounded him in South Central Los Angeles. The bus ride to Calipatria High School took almost two hours. Football practice in the fall meant getting home even later than usual.
But Thompson's willingness to stick it out paid off. Mere days before National Signing Day in 2011, the Gophers' staff contacted him about coming to Minnesota. Not only was Thompson the first high school graduate in his family, but he now had a Division I college scholarship offer.
Simply getting to a Big Ten school from where he was was a significant accomplishment, but Thompson did not stop there. He is a team leader who is nearing completion of his degree. He is a starter on defense with 68 tackles, two interceptions and two forced fumbles going into this weekend's game.
"There's no time for missed assignments," he said. "There's no time for misalignments or anything like that. We have to go out there and read our keys and do everything we can… At the end of the day-win, lose or draw-we know that if we give everything we have for the man next to us, then that's all that really matters at the end of the day."
The cub has grown into an adult lion, and he has proven ready to lead the pride.
When Cedric Thompson became the first member of his family to graduate from high school, his father told him that he was the lion of the family. Those words still resonate with the Minnesota senior, who has a lion tattoo and wears a lion necklace as reminders.
"It motivates me a lot because it makes me not want to stop," Thompson said. "I push myself every day to strive to be the best in everything I do. That's football, that's being a brother, being a boyfriend-no matter what it is, I try to be the best I can be in everything that I do. I use the symbol of a lion as the leader of the family, the pack, the tribe-whatever you want to call it."
Heading into his senior year, Thompson decided he wanted to be the lion of the Golden Gopher football program. He approached head coach Jerry Kill and told him he wanted to take on a bigger leadership role.
"I knew I had what it takes to get this team where we wanted to be," Thompson said. "I know the Big Ten Championship is obviously our goal. We're still shooting for that with everything we have. But my role as a leader was more of building and maintaining relationships to make sure that when people leave here, they can maintain relationships.
"That's why I always disciplined everyone to make sure everybody got to know everybody really well... That's why, whenever I break it down, I always break it down with 'family.' I want everybody to come as a family instead of just being out here trying to win games. It's about winning games, but it's really about us collaborating as a team and learning things for later on in life."
Thompson took charge during the offseason. Before camp started, he worked on technique and some basic game-planning with young teammates in voluntary, player-led sessions.
"So once we got into summer camp, they were 10 steps ahead of where I was when I was a freshman," Thompson said. "I didn't really have anybody teaching me at all. So it feels good to see that they're really high up in our playbook, and it feels good to know that I and some of our other guys helped them."
"He took me in pretty much under his wing," freshman defensive back Craig James said. "He was a great leader in camp and during the summer… He helped me out with learning the plays and staying focused during film."
Thompson organizes some of those film sessions on his own, rounding up teammates even after they just spent hours in meetings and practice. Defensive backs coach Jay Sawvel has been impressed with Thompson's ability to get people organized.
"I think really, the biggest thing is, because of everything he's been through, the toughness that he has and the love that he has for football, he has people's respect," Sawvel said.
That toughness results from a lifetime of overcoming obstacles. In a story that has appeared in newspapers, BTN's "The Journey" and a documentary called "Bombay Beach," Thompson worked to break free from gang violence and other negative influences around him.
"I've been put in a lot of situations where I was forced to be a leader," he said. "I'm the oldest out of three siblings. When my mom and dad got divorced I had to make decisions in the house. I had to choose the right path. A lot of my family are in jail. A lot of them are dead. A lot of them are gang members. I always had to lead people that that's not the life to live."
Thompson moved to Bombay Beach, Calif., at age 15 to get away from the gang violence that surrounded him in South Central Los Angeles. The bus ride to Calipatria High School took almost two hours. Football practice in the fall meant getting home even later than usual.
But Thompson's willingness to stick it out paid off. Mere days before National Signing Day in 2011, the Gophers' staff contacted him about coming to Minnesota. Not only was Thompson the first high school graduate in his family, but he now had a Division I college scholarship offer.
Simply getting to a Big Ten school from where he was was a significant accomplishment, but Thompson did not stop there. He is a team leader who is nearing completion of his degree. He is a starter on defense with 68 tackles, two interceptions and two forced fumbles going into this weekend's game.
"He's taken all the initiative to do the things that it takes to be successful as a student, as a football player," Sawvel said. "I love him to death… He's got a determination and a perseverance that few of us have ever had to put to the test. He's had to do that. I'm very proud of what he has become here from the minute that he's gotten here until where's he at when he leaves here and graduates and goes on to his next thing."
Thompson said he plans to push the team even harder down the final stretch of the season.
"There's no time for missed assignments," he said. "There's no time for misalignments or anything like that. We have to go out there and read our keys and do everything we can… At the end of the day-win, lose or draw-we know that if we give everything we have for the man next to us, then that's all that really matters at the end of the day."
The cub has grown into an adult lion, and he has proven ready to lead the pride.
Players Mentioned
DB
/ Football
Defensive Back
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