Maurice Purify

[StuckinChicago]

I havent heard anything about him having problems qualifying, but then again, who really knows?

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

Now he's also a JUCO All-American in basketball. Maybe once he gets established with the football team he can lend his skills to help the basketball team. Both he and Pierre Allen may be two sport stars.

 

[Washusker]

Screw that. Let him concentrate on the pigskin...

[Eric the Red]

FOOTBALL STAR HELPS BASKETBALL TEAM AS WALK-ON

 

BY MILES HARWELL

Editor

Maurice Purify executes a two-handed dunk against Ohlone.

 

FELIPE JUNQUEIRA / GUARDSMAN

 

 

Junior college All-American receiver Maurice Purify has found new use of his athleticism away from the football field as he has become a major contributor to the Rams basketball team in his sophomore year at City College.

 

“He’s been a spark,” basketball head coach Justin Labagh said of Purify’s ability as a two-sport athlete. “He’s had a positive impact on the team. He is so athletic, he could be a three-sport athlete if he wanted to be.”

 

Purify joined the team during the Delta Tournament in December of 2005, where he was named all-tournament first team. The Rams have gone 16-1 since Purify entered the roster.

 

“I’m not used to playing center,” he said. “It’s a different mindset in the post.” Despite the inexperience, Purify has averaged 14.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game.

 

Purify has found success at center with a physical playing style similar to what he has used on the football field. He uses his strength to box out for rebounds and to gain post position for inside scoring opportunities.

 

“Going up for a rebound is just like reaching for a pass,” he said. “You have to be physical.”

 

Although he has been impressive on the basketball court, Purify’s future will still revolve around football. Purify will continue competing on the gridiron at the University of Nebraska in the fall of 2006.

 

Purify’s decision to become a Cornhusker met the approval of Rams football head George Rush.

 

“They have a great winning tradition,” Rush said of Nebraska football. “There will be a lot of opportunities for him there.”

 

“They’re starting to pass more and they’re looking for receivers,” Purify said of Nebraska’s offense. “I like what head coach Bill Callahan is doing there.”

 

In two years at City College, Purify has lacerated defenses for 1,762 yards and 30 touchdowns off 92 catches. Many of his catches came in late-game scenarios, helping to secure Ram victories.

 

“He will be best remembered for great catches in the clutch,” Rush said.

 

While football will be Purify’s priority when he departs for Nebraska in May of 2006, he remains focused on winning a state basketball championship for the Rams.

 

Purify is motivated by the goal of deceased Rams team captain Terrell Anderson, whose No. 22 jersey remains draped over the seat left of the Rams coaches’ seats, which is left vacant by his teammates in Anderson’s memory. Anderson convinced Purify to play basketball once the 2005 football season had ended.

 

“I didn’t get to win [a championship] in football,” Purify said. “Terrell worked hard to get me on the team, and this is what he would’ve wanted.”

 

e-mail: sports@theguardsman.com

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

BASEBALL TEAM HOPES TO IMPROVE

 

BY BRIAN PEKRUL

Contributing Writer

 

 

Nine games into the 2006 baseball season, Rams head coach John Vanoncini is expecting to see his young team grow with experience and show major improvement following a 3-6 start.

 

After opening the season with a win against Napa, the Rams have struggled as of late, losing six of their last eight games.

 

The Rams have been tough competitors in every game they’ve played this season with exception of a blowout loss to Sequoia. Most games have been close, including heart-breaking losses to San Jose and Hartnell. The Rams had a chance to win each game in their last at bat.

 

“If a few breaks had gone our way, we could have easily been 7-2 right now,” Vanoncini said.

 

Much of the Rams slow start can be attributed to the team’s youth and inexperience.

 

“We’ve brought in a lot of talented players this season,” Vanoncini said. “We just need more time playing together to make it translate into wins.”

 

Despite the rough start, the Rams’ season has had many bright spots, including outfielder Travis Gonzaga who leads the Rams with a remarkable .447 batting average. Outfielder Zac Lee has been consistent, batting .359 with seven runs batted in and one home run.

 

Vanoncini is expecting his young team to hit its stride in mid-March after they have more time playing together.

 

“We are far better than our record shows,” he said. “We’re still just trying to figure out where everyone fits in.”

 

For now the players and staff remain upbeat about the season. Starting shortstop Geoff Downing believes that team chemistry is the team’s biggest strength. “We’re a tight group of guys,” he said. “We’re really coming together pretty fast.”

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

I thought the second article was going to say he is on the baseball team too.

 

Anyhow I can't wait for him to shine on the gridiron.

[Blackshirtsguru]

I can't wait to see what this kid can do for us!

[Hunter94]

yes, he sounds lik e a fantastic athlete......hope he picks up the O quickly

 

 

hunter

[chad1971]

yes, he sounds lik e a fantastic athlete......hope he picks up the O quickly

 

 

hunter

They can Purify and Zack Potter along with Will Henry on the field for opponents FG's and Extra points - Maybe get a few blocks now and then. As everyone knows a missed Extra point has made a difference in a game more than once.

[Eric the Red]

yes, he sounds lik e a fantastic athlete......hope he picks up the O quickly

 

 

hunter

They can Purify and Zack Potter along with Will Henry on the field for opponents FG's and Extra points - Maybe get a few blocks now and then. As everyone knows a missed Extra point has made a difference in a game more than once.

NU did that with that big WR a couple years back. The kid from OMaha North. 6'6" kid

[chad1971]

yes, he sounds lik e a fantastic athlete......hope he picks up the O quickly

 

 

hunter

They can Purify and Zack Potter along with Will Henry on the field for opponents FG's and Extra points - Maybe get a few blocks now and then. As everyone knows a missed Extra point has made a difference in a game more than once.

NU did that with that big WR a couple years back. The kid from OMaha North. 6'6" kid

They should do it again with all 3 at the same time.

[DJR313]

yes, he sounds lik e a fantastic athlete......hope he picks up the O quickly

 

 

hunter

They can Purify and Zack Potter along with Will Henry on the field for opponents FG's and Extra points - Maybe get a few blocks now and then. As everyone knows a missed Extra point has made a difference in a game more than once.

NU did that with that big WR a couple years back. The kid from OMaha North. 6'6" kid

Wilson Thomas?

[DJR313]

They can Purify and Zack Potter along with Will Henry on the field for opponents FG's and Extra points - Maybe get a few blocks now and then. As everyone knows a missed Extra point has made a difference in a game more than once.

Barry Turner did a heckuva job last year as well.

[Eric the Red]

CCSF star is a natural- It took time to emerge but Nebraska-bound Maurice Purify has it all as an athlete

 

Jake Curtis, Chronicle Staff Writer

 

Saturday, April 22, 2006

 

Only in retrospect can City College of San Francisco sophomore Maurice Purify identify the incidents that led to his unprecedented two-sport accomplishment.

 

It was not evident when he embarked on the Vainuku Boot Camp four years ago that it would turn him into a junior-college All-America wide receiver last fall. He could not have imagined that a friend's plea four months ago would lead to him becoming a JC all-state basketball player last month.

 

It's believed to be the first time in recent history an athlete has received the highest California JC honor in those two sports in the same school year. Only a natural athlete can pull that off, and Purify's 6-foot-4, 218-pound Terrell Owens-type body, his 4.45 speed in the 40-yard dash and reports that he jumped from a standing start atop boxes stacked 4 1/2 feet high attest to his physical gifts.

 

"God has blessed him with an unbelievable amount of ability," said Nebraska wide receivers coach Ted Gilmore, who watched Purify play basketball after Purify had committed to play football for the Huskers next fall.

 

It's more than that, of course, and Purify is among those who believe happenstance plays a major role.

 

"I think things happen for a reason," Purify said.

 

The so-called Vainuku Boot Camp happened for reasons apparent only now.

 

"That's what changed my whole life," Purify said.

 

It was the summer of 2002, after Purify's sophomore year at Eureka High School, when he was a pretty good basketball player and a mediocre football player.

 

"As a freshman and sophomore I wasn't an athlete," he said.

 

He and his best friend, Sam Vainuku, a running back for the Eureka High Loggers, decided, with the encouragement of Sam's father, David, that Purify would live at Vainuku's house over the summer so he and Sam could work out together every day.

 

Each morning, David Vainuku, a rugby player in his native Tonga, woke the two boys up, pushed them through a strenuous weight-lifting regimen before noon and running drills in the afternoon.

 

"He hadn't really lifted until my dad got a hold of him," said Sam Vainuku, now a running back at Butte College. "My dad didn't play around. There was no 'no' about it."

 

Skinny when the summer began, Purify transformed himself into the big-bodied wide receiver that makes him special today.

 

"That year as a junior he was running two or three guys over," Vainuku said.

 

After the Loggers went 13-0 in 2003, academics precluded a Division I scholarship for Purify, who took the advice of a Bay Area JC basketball coach who steered Purify to CCSF's nationally prominent football program.

 

The Rams provided the exposure, the polish and conditioning coach John Balano, who helped Purify shave a tenth of a second off his 40 time. Voila. A receiver rated the No. 2 JC player in the country by scout.com. While recruiting him, Nebraska coach Bill Callahan told Purify he could catch 70 passes a year for the Huskers, whose single-season school record is 55.

 

Basketball was not on Purify's mind when he completed his football season with a loss in the Dec. 10 state championship game. He hadn't played basketball as a CCSF freshman, and did not consider it as a sophomore until he started shooting around during the football season with buddy Terrell Anderson. Anderson was the Rams' best basketball player, and pleaded with Purify to join the basketball team.

 

"I saw how bad he wanted me on the team," Purify said.

 

When football was finished, Purify agreed to give it a try, and when basketball coach Justin Labach saw Purify casually dunk while wearing street clothes and a back pack, he let the football player join the team 13 games into the season.

 

"I expected to be the sixth or seventh man, come off the bench and do what was needed," Purify said.

 

That was Purify's role for his first four games, beginning with a 6-for-6 performance in his first game six days after his football finale. It changed on Dec. 26, when Anderson was shot and killed outside a San Francisco night club. Purify was promoted to the starting lineup, replacing his fallen friend who had persuaded him to play basketball for the Rams.

 

The more Purify played, the more he became the team's go-to player. He had 21 rebounds in one game, 23 points in another and guarded centers as well as point guards while helping the Rams reach the state semifinals.

 

Labach has no doubt Purify could play Division I basketball, and Brad Duggan, CCSF athletic director and longtime basketball coach, said, "He could start for USF or Gonzaga right now."

 

He might be able to play basketball for Nebraska, and Gilmore said the football coaches would not stand in his way. Purify knows where his professional future lies, though, and has no intention of playing basketball in Lincoln.

 

Much of his focus now is on academics, because he needs to graduate this spring to be eligible to play at Nebraska next fall. That does not prevent Purify from attending all of the CCSF basketball team's offseason workouts, which are meant for the players returning next season.

 

There's probably a reason Purify is doing it. He just doesn't know what it is yet.

[chad1971]

CCSF star is a natural- It took time to emerge but Nebraska-bound Maurice Purify has it all as an athlete

 

Jake Curtis, Chronicle Staff Writer

 

Saturday, April 22, 2006

 

 

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Only in retrospect can City College of San Francisco sophomore Maurice Purify identify the incidents that led to his unprecedented two-sport accomplishment.

 

It was not evident when he embarked on the Vainuku Boot Camp four years ago that it would turn him into a junior-college All-America wide receiver last fall. He could not have imagined that a friend's plea four months ago would lead to him becoming a JC all-state basketball player last month.

 

It's believed to be the first time in recent history an athlete has received the highest California JC honor in those two sports in the same school year. Only a natural athlete can pull that off, and Purify's 6-foot-4, 218-pound Terrell Owens-type body, his 4.45 speed in the 40-yard dash and reports that he jumped from a standing start atop boxes stacked 4 1/2 feet high attest to his physical gifts.

 

"God has blessed him with an unbelievable amount of ability," said Nebraska wide receivers coach Ted Gilmore, who watched Purify play basketball after Purify had committed to play football for the Huskers next fall.

 

It's more than that, of course, and Purify is among those who believe happenstance plays a major role.

 

"I think things happen for a reason," Purify said.

 

The so-called Vainuku Boot Camp happened for reasons apparent only now.

 

"That's what changed my whole life," Purify said.

 

It was the summer of 2002, after Purify's sophomore year at Eureka High School, when he was a pretty good basketball player and a mediocre football player.

 

"As a freshman and sophomore I wasn't an athlete," he said.

 

He and his best friend, Sam Vainuku, a running back for the Eureka High Loggers, decided, with the encouragement of Sam's father, David, that Purify would live at Vainuku's house over the summer so he and Sam could work out together every day.

 

Each morning, David Vainuku, a rugby player in his native Tonga, woke the two boys up, pushed them through a strenuous weight-lifting regimen before noon and running drills in the afternoon.

 

"He hadn't really lifted until my dad got a hold of him," said Sam Vainuku, now a running back at Butte College. "My dad didn't play around. There was no 'no' about it."

 

Skinny when the summer began, Purify transformed himself into the big-bodied wide receiver that makes him special today.

 

"That year as a junior he was running two or three guys over," Vainuku said.

 

After the Loggers went 13-0 in 2003, academics precluded a Division I scholarship for Purify, who took the advice of a Bay Area JC basketball coach who steered Purify to CCSF's nationally prominent football program.

 

The Rams provided the exposure, the polish and conditioning coach John Balano, who helped Purify shave a tenth of a second off his 40 time. Voila. A receiver rated the No. 2 JC player in the country by scout.com. While recruiting him, Nebraska coach Bill Callahan told Purify he could catch 70 passes a year for the Huskers, whose single-season school record is 55.

 

Basketball was not on Purify's mind when he completed his football season with a loss in the Dec. 10 state championship game. He hadn't played basketball as a CCSF freshman, and did not consider it as a sophomore until he started shooting around during the football season with buddy Terrell Anderson. Anderson was the Rams' best basketball player, and pleaded with Purify to join the basketball team.

 

"I saw how bad he wanted me on the team," Purify said.

 

When football was finished, Purify agreed to give it a try, and when basketball coach Justin Labach saw Purify casually dunk while wearing street clothes and a back pack, he let the football player join the team 13 games into the season.

 

"I expected to be the sixth or seventh man, come off the bench and do what was needed," Purify said.

 

That was Purify's role for his first four games, beginning with a 6-for-6 performance in his first game six days after his football finale. It changed on Dec. 26, when Anderson was shot and killed outside a San Francisco night club. Purify was promoted to the starting lineup, replacing his fallen friend who had persuaded him to play basketball for the Rams.

 

The more Purify played, the more he became the team's go-to player. He had 21 rebounds in one game, 23 points in another and guarded centers as well as point guards while helping the Rams reach the state semifinals.

 

Labach has no doubt Purify could play Division I basketball, and Brad Duggan, CCSF athletic director and longtime basketball coach, said, "He could start for USF or Gonzaga right now."

 

He might be able to play basketball for Nebraska, and Gilmore said the football coaches would not stand in his way. Purify knows where his professional future lies, though, and has no intention of playing basketball in Lincoln.

 

Much of his focus now is on academics, because he needs to graduate this spring to be eligible to play at Nebraska next fall. That does not prevent Purify from attending all of the CCSF basketball team's offseason workouts, which are meant for the players returning next season.

 

There's probably a reason Purify is doing it. He just doesn't know what it is yet.

Good article - I hope he has a MONSTER game against cu next year - That would drive their fans insane being who his nephew is.

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

If he does manage 70 receptions in a season that would be awesome and he'd be an All-American.