This is the latest post for an ongoing media project — SoCal Sports History 101: The Prime Numbers from 00 to 99 that Uniformly, Uniquely and Unapologetically Reveal The Narrative of Our Region’s Athletic Heritage. Pick a number and highlight an athlete — person, place or thing — most obviously connected to it by fame and fortune, someone who isn’t so obvious, and then take a deeper dive into the most interesting story tied to it. It’s a combination of star power, achievement, longevity, notoriety, and, above all, what makes that athlete so Southern California. Quirkiness and notoriety factor in. And it should open itself to more discussion and debate — which is what sports is best at doing.
The most obvious choices for No. 79:
= Jonathan Ogden, UCLA football
= Bob Golic, Los Angeles Raiders
= Jeff Bregel, USC football
The not-so-obvious choices for No. 79:
= Gary Jeter, USC football
= Coy Bacon, Los Angeles Rams
The most interesting story for No. 79:
Forest Whitaker, Palisades High football defensive tackle (1976 to 1978)
Southern California map pinpoints:
Pacific Palisades, Carson, Hollywood
There’s a five-minute stretch in the iconic 1982 teen flick “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” where Forest Whitaker shows a full range of acting — and athletic — skills he would eventually harness decades later with an Oscar-worthy resume.
As Ridgemont High’s star linebacker Charles Jefferson, wearing No. 33 on his jersey and lettermen’s jacket, Whitaker goes from mild-mannered to maniacal mayhem during a fast-and-furious turn of events.
It wasn’t a real stretch for Whitaker to take on that role.
Just a few years earlier, he was an All-L.A. City defensive tackle at Palisades High, wearing No. 79. He would go off to Cal Poly Pomona on a football scholarship.
Maybe some special effects during the movie’s football game scene that showed Jefferson launch over the Lincoln High offensive line and tackled the entire backfield. Still, one by one, Jefferson knocked out the opposing team to the delight of the Ridgemont student section, many of whom wore buttons reading “Assassinate Lincoln.”
There was more to come.
Forest Steven Whitaker, born on July 15, 1961 in Longview, Texas, moved with his family to Carson at age 4. His mom, Laura, was a special ed teacher and his father, Forest, sold insurance.
Rather than have him attend a school in L.A.’s tougher inner city, Whitaker’s parents figured out a way to have him go to Palisades High in Malibu, which could be an hour-long ride in traffic one way.
Whitaker once said his parents’ decision may have saved his life.
Continue reading “No. 79: Forest Whitaker”
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