BOULDER — There’s a reason Colorado defensive tackle George Hypolite always wears a smile and is happy to discuss anything and everything – from politics to the New York Yankees’ pitching staff – with those who will listen. Hypolite enjoys and appreciates life more than most because he has witnessed more of life than most.
Whiffing on a tackle will never feel like the end of the world to somebody who has experienced his world. In his hometown of Los Angeles, Hypolite served almost 400 hours as a cook for Project Angel Food, a charitable organization that prepares and delivers meals for homebound victims of HIV and AIDS. He has worked at a shelter for battered women and children.
“To look in kids’ eyes, knowing that just by talking with them you’ve made their day a little better …” Hypolite said, almost tearing up.
Cody Hawkins, Colorado’s redshirt freshman quarterback, realized soon after arriving on campus last year that there is something special, something different about Hypolite. Something apart from the 6-foot-1, 285-pounder’s quick feet and brute strength.
Away from football, it’s Hypolite the humanitarian.
“To be an ambassador for our program, George is it,” Hawkins said. “And it helps on the field. To be a good athlete, you need balance in your life. You need to keep things in perspective.
“If he sees a player nervous, thinking he hopes he doesn’t screw up, George can say, ‘Hey, I was just down at the homeless shelter last week. Those people love football, but they can’t afford a ticket.”‘
Hypolite can’t recall precisely the first time he volunteered but figures it must have been while he was in grade school, perhaps when he served as an altar boy at his Catholic church. Recently, he was named to the American Football Coaches Association’s “Good Works Team” that honors players for their dedication and commitment to community service.
The AFCA cited Hypolite for his volunteer work at a Boulder homeless shelter, for participating in the Angel Tree Project that provides gifts to children and senior citizens during the holiday season and other giving endeavors.
“We talk to players about being a successful person, and giving back is part of that,” CU coach Dan Hawkins said. “We have a big emphasis on community service. But George takes it to the next level.”
Invariably, Hawkins said, it all starts at home. Hypolite’s father skipped out on the family before George entered kindergarten. But Hypolite’s mother, Mary Clark, was always there for George and his older sister, Alexandra. Mom scattered books around the home so her kids would acquire a love for reading. She made sure to get home early enough each evening for a family dinner. She passed down her passion for volunteering. Like her brother, Alexandra began as an altar girl.
“It’s just critical to give back,” said Clark, a library manager at the University of Southern California. “You hear people say, ‘I can’t save the world.’ But I told George, if you participate in the little things, it makes a difference. And it makes you a better person.”
Clark also encouraged her kids to participate in other activities. George played Little League baseball and AAU basketball. He didn’t try out for the football team until his sophomore year of high school.
“George told me he hoped to be 6-8 and play basketball for Georgetown,” Jamal Adams, Hypolite’s hoops coach at Loyola High School, recalled with a chuckle.
Ironically, it was Adams who coaxed Hypolite into trying football. Playing fullback and defensive end, Hypolite became an all-league performer by his junior season and as a senior was rated among the top 100 prospects in the West by various recruiting services.
“Other kids would ask their dad how they did in a game, but I’d go to my mom and she’d tell me if I didn’t play as well as I should have,” Hypolite said. “She would even tell me what I did wrong.”
Colorado coaches say they wouldn’t trade Hypolite and nose tackle Brandon Nicolas for another inside tandem in the Big 12 Conference. The juniors have become the rock-solid foundation of the defense.
“One of the things that makes George a leader is he’s very smart,” Dan Hawkins said. “When some team is lining up in a certain formation, he will stand right up and say what they’re running. Guys respect that.”
“George tells special-teams guys their assignments and he doesn’t even play much special teams,” defensive coordinator Ron Collins added.
Although Hypolite had never played defensive tackle before arriving in Boulder, Adams isn’t surprised Hypolite adapted quickly despite being a bit undersized for the position by Big 12 standards.
“George has the biggest heart going,” Adams said, “and I believe that has helped him succeed. We talk all the time about the power of giving. His volunteer work has given George discipline and accountability. You’re never going to succeed without that.”
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
Buffs’ defense proving to be stingy
Defense has carried Colorado through the early portion of the season. Since midway through the second half of the season-opening win over Colorado State, the Buffaloes’ defense has limited opponents to a 19.7 percent conversion rate (12-of-61) on third downs. And in the past three weeks, CU’s pass defense has limited the opposition to less than a 50 percent completion percentage in each game. A look at some reasons for CU’s stellar defensive play:
TALENT
When he arrived in Boulder before the 2006 season, coach Dan Hawkins inherited more talent on defense than on offense because Gary Barnett had recruited better on that side of the ball. Linebacker Jordon Dizon and cornerback Terrence Wheatley could earn first-team all-Big 12 honors. Defensive tackle George Hypolite and nose tackle Brandon Nicolas comprise one of the league’s top tandems inside.
EXPERIENCE
In their second season under defensive coordinator Ron Collins, players have become comfortable with the system and with their responsibilities. They are truly playing as a unit, Collins said. “Last year, we didn’t really know what we were doing out there,” Wheatley admitted.
TOUGHNESS
Following CU’s 27-24 win Saturday, an Oklahoma player told a Tulsa newspaper the Sooners were surprised by how physical CU played. “We want that to be our identity,” Hypolite said. “We’re not the biggest defense, but we can still be tough and play tough.”
PLAYING FAST
Colorado’s defense has decent speed, not great speed, Collins said. “But because they know the system and are playing with confidence, they play fast to the ball,” Collins said. “You can have a fast defense that doesn’t know where to go.”
GAME PLANNING
Hawkins gives Collins kudos for “adding some wrinkles” to his schemes that keeps the opponent guessing. “Our game plan was so good against Oklahoma, we only had to blitz four times against a team that was averaging more than 60 points a game,” Hypolite said. “That says a lot about how we played.”
Tom Kensler, The Denver Post
