Westlake’s Top Rusher Has Long Run in Mind

So many people want to know which college running back Lorenzo Booker of Ventura St. Bonaventure High is going to choose that the state rushing record-holder is waiting until Wednesday to announce his decision--on ESPN.

Running back Jonathan Contos, who set a single-season school rushing record at Westlake High, scored a perfect 800 on the math portion of the Scholastic Assessment Test and has never received a grade less than A, revealed his college choice last December--at the family dinner table. He chose Harvard. The way these two college decisions were handled tells plenty about society’s obsession with sports.

Booker deserves praise for overcoming the challenge of proving he was the nation’s best running back despite playing for a small school that dominated its weak opposition.

He was named Parade magazine’s player of the year and is choosing his college from USC, Washington, Notre Dame and Florida State. His 4.4 40-yard speed and NFL-like cutback skills have fans clamoring to learn where he’ll be playing this fall.

Contos’ story is equally compelling.

He rushed for 1,532 yards last season and became Westlake’s all-time rushing leader. He has a 4.56 grade-point average on a scale in which 4.0 is an A, and he scored 1,470 on his SAT.

Last spring, at a combine in Oxnard, Contos lined up to race Booker in a 40-yard dash. Contos had hurt his hamstring in an earlier race but badly wanted to test himself against Booker.

Contos won the race.

“I just had to run against Booker,” he said. “I got into the block next to him and did what I had to do. It wasn’t something I was planning on gloating about or telling everyone about. He was the figurehead of football in Ventura County and one of the best players in the nation. It was good for personal gratification to know I could compete with people like him.”

Contos, 5 feet 9, 175 pounds, was good enough to receive recruiting inquiries from Northwestern, Illinois and Stanford. But even if USC and UCLA had offered a scholarship, he said he would have turned them down.

“Within the last year or two, I pretty much realized I’m going to make my living with my mind,” he said. “To be able to accomplish what I want to accomplish, I’m going to have to attend a school like Harvard. It’s a once-in-

a-lifetime opportunity.”

Harvard, the oldest college in America, with an endowment of $19 billion and six graduates who became presidents, plays NCAA Division I-AA football and doesn’t offer athletic scholarships. Contos’ parents are going to be responsible for $37,000 a year in costs. Their daughter attends USC. “It’s an opportunity that presents itself once, and you figure out how to do it,” said Contos’ father, John.

Coach Tim Murphy, who guided Harvard to the Ivy League football championship last season, said he recruits players who Stanford and Notre Dame like but don’t have enough scholarships to offer.

“The thing I tell kids is, ‘Someday, football is going to end. It may be at 18, 22 or 32. The bottom line is, with a Harvard degree, you’re going to have opportunities even an outstanding school can’t give you,’” Murphy said.

Contos, who has family living in Boston, first visited Harvard when he was 9. He never imagined himself becoming a Harvard student, but the excitement he felt during a recent return visit left him convinced he made the right choice.

“At times, it’s very empowering, but at times, it’s very intimidating,” he said. “When you start thinking about all the incredible people who have been there, George Washington, the Kennedys, it’s inspiring, exciting but a little scary, and that’s the essence of the school and why it’s special. The opportunities are endless.”

Contos doesn’t see anything wrong with the media focusing attention on Booker while largely ignoring his accomplishments.

“I think it’s a matter of where you fit in,” the Westlake player said. “I believe I can contribute a lot more to a smaller school.”

Contos believes sports provide a crucial learning tool when placed in perspective.

“I think sports is an incredible source of discipline,” he said. “Sports really gets you focused and really balances out your life. It’s good to have a sports experience, but then again, I’ve always realized sports isn’t everything. There’s always tomorrow, win or lose. There’s always another chance. I have four more years to win a championship.”

On Wednesday, Booker and dozens of other high school seniors from Southern California will sign letters of intent. Contos won’t be one of them. In the Ivy League, players don’t sign letters of intent.

“They get a letter of acceptance,” Murphy said. “All we get from them is word they are coming. It’s a handshake. That may seem ridiculous in this day and age, but I’ve only had one kid in 200 I recruited who reneged.”

Contos is going to do just fine at Harvard. He can’t wait to test his mind and body.

“I may be going 3,000 miles away, but it is sort of like going home,” he said.

Eric Sondheimer can be reached at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.