Jamie Foxx, the actor, is standing in the Agoura High parking lot talking on his cellphone next to his white Rolls Royce SUV, apparently waiting for girls’ volleyball practice to begin since his daughter plays for the team. There are no TMZ photographers hiding in the bushes.
Football coach Dustin Croick arrives in his golf cart to transport me to the football office to speak with a 15-year-old sophomore who never would be mistaken for a celebrity.
George Hastings sounds like a name from a 17th-century English novel. He’s a 5-foot-10, 175-pound football player who could star for any team if a coach saw what he does.
“He’s like an old-school player,” Croick said. “He’s fast, he’s smart, he’s tough.”
He’s played quarterback, running back, tight end, slot receiver, free safety, strong safety, middle linebacker and outside linebacker for the 7-1 Chargers.
“His football sense is so natural,” Croick said. “The game slows down for him.”
Two weeks ago in a game against Dos Pueblos, he had 16 tackles, completed one pass for a touchdown, caught a touchdown pass, rushed for 80 yards, blocked a punt and forced a fumble.
When the starting quarterback went down because of a broken leg against Calabasas while the No. 2 and No. 3 quarterbacks were unavailable because of injuries, Hastings took over in the fourth quarter and broke out of the pocket to score the go-ahead touchdown, then made an interception to seal the victory.
“I don’t think he understands how good he is,” Croick said.
Arriving at the football office, the door opens and Hastings is playing video pingpong with two JV players. It’s three sophomores matching wits and finger reflexes. Just never go against Hastings in any game. He’s got blond hair, braces on his teeth, looks like a freshman but acts 18.
He has a 4.2 grade-point average and his mother, Carrie, is a sports psychologist for the Rams and Angel City FC. His father, Chuck, played football at Princeton. He’s got two younger brothers, ages 8 and 12, who play football. This family is so devoted to football, they could star in their own Dr Pepper commercial. They probably put on eyeblack before going to bed at night.
Last week Hastings was so exhausted and beat up after playing Thursday night that while going to math class he asked his girlfriend to help him walk up the stairs. He offered no complaints for his bruises.
“I love it,” he said. “I love the camaraderie. I love the brotherhood. I love contact. It’s just the perfect sport. There’s nothing like football. It’s the greatest game out there. It teaches you so much about growing up.”
What has playing football taught Hastings?
“One thing it has taught me is to become a good leader, you first have to be a good follower and learn from the people above you,” he said. “The seniors on this team have helped me get through all the adversity we’ve had.”
His younger brothers keep him humble.
“They make fun of me, I make fun of them,” Hastings said. “The little guy definitely likes everyone else on the team. I was running out at halftime and he was like, ‘You better not fumble. I’m going to punch you.’ I was, ‘What the heck, man.’”
There is a big advantage having your mother as a sports psychologist. She gives good pep talks and doesn’t charge for her services.
“Thank God,” he said. “If you need help, you can ask her. It’s a great resource to have because the mental aspect is really important when it comes to football. It helps to know the right strategy to remain calm, cool and collective.”
In eight games, Hastings is five for five passing with one touchdown. He’s rushed for 521 yards and five touchdowns. He’s caught eight passes with one touchdown. He leads the team with 89 tackles. His knowledge of the offense and defense is astounding for a 15-year-old.
“It’s like a second language to me,” he said. “I just know how our plays work and how our defense works.”
Croick knows with Hastings’ versatility, there are many options for utilizing him. The coach just needs to devise strategies.
“He doesn’t seem fazed by anything,” Croick said.
Hastings has met Rams players while with his mom, studied them and come away thinking, “They’re people too. They have personal lives like everyone else.”
The next test for Hastings should be running into Foxx to see who’s the bigger celebrity on campus.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
