Jordan’s Henderson Has a Desire for College Life

For one glorious week in June, Isaiah Henderson of Los Angeles Jordan thought he was in heaven.

He’d wake up at 6 a.m. in his UCLA dorm room, enjoy an all-you-can-eat breakfast, go to math class, break for an all-you-can-eat lunch, study some more, devour an all-you-can-eat dinner, then go to sleep.

“It was everything you can ask for,” he said of his summer glimpse into life as a college student on scholarship.

Henderson was reared by a mother who never graduated from high school and with seven older cousins who never got their high school diplomas. Only about 50% of black Americans graduate from high school, according to an Urban Institute report on the Class of 2001. Henderson is seeking to beat the odds.

He has made it to his senior year at Jordan committed to using education and football to achieve a better life.

“I can make it because I have a lot of confidence,” Henderson said. “I’ve worked too hard at what I do.”

With a 3.4 grade-point average, the 5-foot-11, 240-pound quarterback and linebacker is determined to make it out of Watts.

He has lived for 13 years at the Jordan Downs housing project adjacent to the high school. There are 700 housing units reserved for low-income residents.

His mother, Pamela, has two older daughters and a granddaughter. Her children know what she wants.

“I motivate my children to go to school to get a better education than I did,” she said.

Henderson started dropping by Jordan football practices when he was in junior high, causing Coach Willie Burnett to take notice.

When Burnett learned that Henderson’s grades had slipped during the first semester of his eighth-grade year, he let him know the consequences.

“I stayed on him,” Burnett said. “I told him, ‘I don’t need average kids. I’ve got a gang of those.’ I can’t have that.”

The message got through to Henderson, who reversed course, raised his grades and hasn’t looked back. Last semester, he received Bs in chemistry, Spanish II and honors literature.

His leadership skills are in such high regard that Burnett said, “This man might be a mayor. He’d definitely get my vote. He doesn’t take no for an answer. He doesn’t want to hear you can’t make it to practice or can’t get an A in class.”

Teammates wonder if there’s anyone who doesn’t like Henderson, whose willingness to offer help to a stranger or a friend has left a powerful impression.

“Whomever it is, you’re going to get along with him because of the way he laughs and the way he talks,” teammate Rashad Newsome said.

Added Henderson: “I like to help people. I like to meet different people. I like to socialize. I like to get along with other people.”

As a linebacker, Henderson wants the reputation of a fierce, hard tackler. As a quarterback, he enjoys surprising defenders who think his large frame might restrict him from scrambling. On the contrary, Henderson will be encouraged to take off and pick up yards with his feet, according to Burnett.

As the 2004 football season started this week, Henderson realized what was at stake.

“This season [means] if I’m going to leave or not,” he said.

Whether he’s good enough to earn a football scholarship is in question, but there’s no doubt about his commitment to obtain a college education.

“Without college,” Henderson said, “there’s nothing for you. With college, you can work on what you want to do in life.”

His one-week summer experience at UCLA as part of a math and science program gave him motivation to dream about the future. And his example of taking education seriously is providing inspiration for others.

“He’s a milestone for his family,” Burnett said. “Everyone can look up to him.”

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