BY JOSH HOUCHINS

“The best pure athlete I’ve seen from this area.”

That was the common phrase used when people talked about Highland High School’s Jerrill Humphrey. I said it many times and still do. Being a 2000 graduate from Highland, I watched him closely years after, curious of his future. I was lucky enough to spend two summers volunteering at Highland’s football camps and watched Humphrey do whatever he wanted to on the field. He could throw the perfect spiral 50 yards. He could jump over a smaller high school cornerback to catch a ball mid-stride and sprint towards the endzone. I even witnessed him catch a ball thrown out-of-bounds with one hand, bring it back in, and tap both toes. Oh, he was a sophomore then.

When WGEM Sports Director Ben Marth discussed with me months ago he was considering an in-depth story on Humphrey, I had my reservations, but was also excited. “Phenom to Felon” Part I and Part II, looks at how the athlete’s life went from high school stud to college punchline (check out the reference below Marcus Lucas’ name) and then prison inmate. I wanted to see how Ben thought the interview went, and looking back, what he would have liked to ask but didn’t, and simply if he believed what Humphrey was telling him while talking one-on-one.

JH: How nervous were you about this interview? Not every day you visit someone in prison.
BM: I would be lying if I didn’t say I was a little nervous. This was the first time I stepped foot in to a prison and my anxiety was at its peak. But it was tempered after learning of Humphrey’s minimum security status, meaning me and video journalist Joe McFarland, were able to conduct the interview hundreds of feet from the other inmates.

What was the one thing you wanted to get from this project?
I really wanted to discover what happened from beginning to end. From his rock star playing days in high school, to the dozens of college football programs that offered full-ride scholarships, to picking Mizzou, to losing integral people in his life in a short amount of time, to making bad decisions, to ultimately becoming a prisoner. I, like most people, wanted to know how an incredibly gifted athlete went from such a significant high to such a humbling low.

Ever concerned about it becoming a “pity-party” type of story?
I heard a lot of the “pity party” issue before conducting the interview when I discussed the subject matter with various allies. And I directed the majority of my questions away from that issue to more of the here and now. I wanted to know how he plans to improve his life after his release rather than allowing him time to make excuses. For the most part, I thought Jerrill was straight forward and contrite.

Humphrey in Moberly Correctional Center, seven months left on his sentence.

Were there any questions that were off limits or was he willing to answer pretty much anything? How receptive was he?
Jerrill talked about anything and everything. From allegations of being “set up” in his drug arrest, to allegations of being lied to by his probation officer, to his concerns of dealing with other inmates. Jerrill and I spent roughly two hours together and I think we could have talked for six more.

Was he nervous at all during the interview process?
Jerrill didn’t show many nerves. Honestly, I think he had been waiting for months, if not years, for this opportunity. He wanted people to know that he screwed up, his kids are vitally important, and he has plans for the future. Remarkably, he still wants to play football.

Did he live in the past? How much looking back at on-the-field play was there?
Living in the past is two-fold when it comes to Jerrill Humphrey. First off, his playing days at Highland and Mizzou. When I asked him what he missed most about Friday night football  and Saturday afternoons at Faurot Field. He said, “Everything.” Secondly, I think if he could go back to the past he would make considerable changes to his lifestyle which led to his incarceration. Therefore, he is motivated by past incidents. Good and bad.

Looking back, anything you didn’t ask you wish you had?
We spoke for two hours, I heard everything I wanted to hear. The people I didn’t get to hear from were his family members. I tried on multiple occasions to schedule interviews with those closest to him. Unfortunately, those attempts were unsuccessful. Up to the time we interviewed him in early April, he had yet to receive a single visitor. I wanted to know why.

Do you believe him?
I want to believe him. As so many of us are, I am captivated by his polite nature and soft spoken means of communication. He has always shown a deep level of respect to me and I will show him the same respect. I remain hopeful of Jerrill Humphrey’s future as a productive member of our society.

BY JOSH HOUCHINS

The AL Central sucks.

That was easier to say than I thought. But leading into the season, it was clear that Detroit was the class of the division. The Tigers seemingly had very few faults. They could have even been the class of the entire Big Leagues. Now you look at the division and only one team is above .500 and only one is on the positive side of the run differential category. Neither are led by the Tigers

A few other divisions are leading the way, with, Surprise! Surprise!, the AL East putting three teams in Top Eight.

1) Rangers (23-13) third straight week — Josh Hamilton. Enough said.

2) Dodgers (24-11) up two spots — Very curious about the Dodgers now without Matt Kemp for a stretch. Should be very interesting.

3) Braves (22-14) up four spots — I’m not sure if Michael Bourn will ever be close to winning an MVP, but the guy is crucial to this team’s success.

4) Orioles (22-14) up two spots — How do you bounce back after dropping 3 of 4 to the Rangers? How about winning a three-game series versus the Rays. I really like this team.

5) Rays (22-14) down three spots – I would have bet a ton of money on Fernando Rodney not being any good in the closer’s role. And I would have been broke.

6) Cardinals (20-15) down three spots — The play of Adam Wainwright will be a huge concern soon if he doesn’t become the ace we expect. Team is relying on it big time.

7) Nationals (22-13) down two spots – Harper gets a ton of credit but the pitching staff is ranked first in ERA, WHIP, and BAA.

8 ) Yankees (20-15) NR — Brett Gardner needs to get his elbow fixed fast.

Bye Bye: Indians

Take a trip with WGEM SportsCenter host, Josh Houchins, as he recaps the weekend in his own weird way. And make sure to follow him on Twitter.

* Holy cow, Josh Hamilton is a stud right now. Watching baseball on a daily basis can be very tedious, but when a guy catches fire like that, not many sports are better. A hitter in a groove is great TV. Too bad it just doesn’t last.

* Really, tennis? I guess it’s good marketing for a movie, but why in the heck would Roger Federer want a suit (above) worn by Will Smith in one of the Men in Black movies? I would rather have the glasses his wife wore in the Matrix flicks.

* This quote on the 76ers series, in which they lost, is once again why Carlos Boozer is a punk: “I thought I played well, especially with the kind of season it was. We had the best record again in basketball, won our division again, had the top seed again, that’s all that matters, yo.” Pretty sure a title is all that matters for most … yo.

* Yes, I always hoped there would be a Bikini Hockey League.

* Heard it at the very beginning of the season and it plays a huge part now: “The Lakers are the worst, good team I’ve seen.” I think that even makes sense.

* I have no problem with LeBron James winning his third MVP because his stats were pretty ridiculous, but do not think Tony Parker earned enough credit for the season the Spurs had this year. The guy led the charge for a team loaded with older players mixed with a group of unappreciated young guys.

* Conan O’Brien — you’re one very lucky man. All I have to say.

* Here’s the line of a point guard’s plus/minus (point differential when said player in on the court) in a past seven-game series: Game 1 Win (-1); Game 2 Loss (-3); Game 3 Win (+8); Game 4 Win (-9); Game 5 Loss (-8); Game 6 Loss (-5); Game 7 Win (+4). So, when said PG was ON THE COURT during that seven-game series, his team was out-scored by 14 points!! Now, he was solid in Game 7, so at least that’s OK. Who is this player that I have never really been THAT high on? Here you go.

Chad Smith (left) and Will Ferrell (right) freak me out.

* I’m starting to like Brewers closer John Axford a lot. Here’s the note he left for the media following his blown save Friday against the Cubs.

* TWEET OF THE WEEKEND: (via @onemillionfacts) Hawaii is moving closer to Japan at a rate of 4 inches every year.

* Can’t believe “Are You There, Chelsea?” is getting canceled! Wait, yes I can. Show was terrible. Along with “I Hate My Teenage Daughter.” That has to be the worst show name ever.

* Did you know “stressed” spelled backwards is “dessert.” There’s some food for thought. Get it? I’m a moron.

* Ever noticed that Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer, Chad Smith, looks a lot like Will Ferrell (right). I’ve watched HBO’s Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame induction twice and RHCP can still rock at or even near 50. I love it that some of the bands I grew up liking will be around my entire life — RHCP, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters (slightly different, yes), and Green Day.

* I was relieved to find out that beach volleyball does have cheerleaders.

* Carlos Beltran is on-pace to hit 62 home runs, drive in 152, score 133 runs, hit .298, and actually have the best season ever for a St. Louis Cardinals player. He’ll still finish second to Matt Kemp in the MVP voting, though.

* And Finally, let’s end on an awesome story why don’t we. I’ve only talked to him a couple of times, but Bravo, Dustin.

– HOOCH

After the Sixers knocked off Chicago last night, this picture was the first thing I saw. Twenty years from now all I’ll remember is that No. 8 seeded Philly put a pounding on the top-seeded Bulls. Again… that’s how I’ll remember it!

BY JOSH HOUCHINS

(WARNING: This is a non-sports post. Just letting you know right away.)

I love one band more than any other — Pearl Jam. It’s the only band I can say I have every CD — studio, live (not all of the bootlegs, though), compilations, B-sides, or re-releases. So, I had an idea the other day:

What if you could put together the perfect Pearl Jam CD according to track listings?

Well, I spent one whole afternoon accomplishing such. My first overall glance back says Ten seemingly ranks at the top with five No. 1′s, yet zero on the No. 2 list. That says something, but I don’t want to go in depth here at all.

NO. 1 – Go (vs.): The perfect way to start a CD — quick, ascending guitar parts that lead into a rock ending with banging drums. SECOND: Sometimes (No Code).

NO. 2 – Even Flow (Ten): One of the more hard rock songs in the catalogue, the line “he can’t help, when he’s happy looks insane” is awesome. SECOND: Faithfull (Yield).

NO. 3 – Alive (Ten): The first PJ song I fell in love with. After the years, I started to get more and more from it. From Stone”s guitar riff at the beginning to “I’m still alive” being more about the individual listening instead of Eddie’s meaning. SECOND: Not For You (Vitalogy).

NO. 4 – Given To Fly (Yield): Musically, I think one of the best songs you’ll hear. Everything just seems to fit so politely it’s almost freaky. SECOND: Tremor Christ (Vitalogy).

NO. 5 – Black (Ten): IF they would have put this out as a single like many in the record company wanted, this song would seriously challenge the next on the track list for most popular through the years. I don’t play favorites too many times, but Black would be atop my list. SECOND: I had a really tough time deciding here, so I just listed them all pretty much. The deepest track number. Wish List (Yield) or Nothingman (vs.) or Marker in the Sand (Avocado Album) or Just Breathe (Backspacer).

NO. 6 – Jeremy (Ten): Always say if a band can write an awesome song, rock or not, NOT about a break up or girl/boy problem, you have made it. Well, this song and everything about it screams awesome. It has meaning. It has soul. It even had an alternate video. SECOND: I Am Mind (Riot Act).

NO. 7 – Do the Evolution (Yield): You can see the influences of Neil Young played a part in this and other Yield songs. Some of the lyrics are so true. SECOND: Thumbing My Way (Riot Act).

NO. 8 – Red Mosquito (No Code): Who knew a great song could happen because of food poisoning? And man, Mr. McCready can bring it. SECOND: Rearviewmirror (vs.).

NO. 9 – Rats (vs): Some songs are on here simply because they are awesome songs … good on every level, from lyrics to melodies. This one is on here because of a personal reason. My older brother, who died in 1998, taught me to love PJ, and Rats was a song that we listened to the most while playing Sega in the basement. No other song brings back personal memories like one mentioning a Michael Jackson song. SECOND: Gone (Avocado Album).

NO. 10 – Elderly Woman (vs.): It would take me two days just to type the entire song title out. I think it’s a beautiful, melodic song. And my sister’s favorite by the way. SECOND: Force of Nature (Backspacer).

NO. 11 – Release (Ten): Yep, the song I want played at my funeral. I understand it’s written by Eddie about his dad (which we learned about in PJ20 video), but it screams something else to me. SECOND: Better Man (Vitalogy). Musically, the best song they have ever produced.

NO. 12 – Soon Forget (Binaural): There’s the ukulele!! Plus, the word “horny” is used. Awesome. SECOND: Bu$hleaguer (Riot Act). Fun Fact: Song was written by guitarist, Stone Gossard and not Vedder.

NO. 13 – Inside Job (Avocado Album): Truly think this is a very underrated song that sits in the back of the album. A haunting Vedder voice reminds me so much of Bob Seger in a way. SECOND: Parting Ways (Binaural).

BY JOSH HOUCHINS

Huh? The Orioles have the best record in baseball? Really?

Those were the exact words I used on Monday after seeing Baltimore pull away with a 19-9 record — the best in ALL of baseball. Better than the Rays, Cardinals, Dodgers, and Rangers. You know — the teams that have ruled baseball. But the Orioles?

And it can last a little longer, too. Buck Showalter is a manager who always does more with less. They added youngsters like Tommy Hunter (Texas) and Wei-Yin Chen (Japan) to the rotation. Those guys may not last all season but I think they will last until the All-Star Break.

1) Rangers (19-10) second straight week — Every starter in the rotation is averaging over 100 pitches per start and they have a combined 14-6 record.

2) Rays (19-10) up five spots — Home wins have been amazing — 13-3.

3) Cardinals (18-11) third straight week — Best run differential in baseball (plus-65) is why they stay this high.

4) Dodgers (19-10) third straight week — Was told by a guy on the street that Ted Lilly is back to his old self. Not sure what that means, but do agree he is pitching well — 4-0 with 1.41 ERA.

5) Nationals (18-10) secoond straight week – I admit I’m a huge sucker for Bryce Harper. Hidden stat from him is that he’s walked more than struck out so far, which is odd for a rookie.

6) Orioles (19-10) NR — Wow. Huge props on the fact they won series against Red Sox, Blue Jays (twice), and Yankees. Got to beat the best to compete.

7) Braves (18-12) up one spot – Atlanta is scoring runs like a mad man. It has seven guys with 10 or more RBI — including a crazy 21 from 87-year-old Chipper Jones.

8 ) Indians (17-11) NR — The biggest question mark for me are the Indians, not even the Orioles. Cleveland is a mere plus-4 in run differential, which means the margin of error is really small.

Bye Bye: Tigers, Yankees

Take a trip with WGEM SportsCenter host, Josh Houchins, as he recaps the weekend in his own weird way. And make sure to follow him on Twitter.

* Well, St. Louis, you simply got beat by a better team. Yeah, I’m not a huge fan of that cliche either, but it seems true and pretty spot on with the Round 2 series against the Kings. The Blues didn’t pick up a “goalie win” — where things aren’t clicking yet the goalie sneaks out a win for you. The Blues didn’t find a veteran willing to put everything on his shoulders to get things going like it happened in Round 1 with Andy McDonald. Don’t be surprised if the Kings aren’t hoisting the Stanley Cup soon.

* Albert Pujols went deep on Sunday to end the 100-plus at-bat stretch without a homer. He celebrated by running straight down the steps and most likely doing the WWE D-Generation X move with the crotch chop to every fan out there.

* Have $2 million hanging around? If so, you can The Babe’s home!

It's so easy to hate Theon!

* The fact Jon Hamm supports all Missouri sports teams is cool.

* Watching the Miami Heat isn’t as great as many make it out to be and also for a team loaded with three stars. If they win it all it will be a moot point, but the team is not that much fun to watch in my opinion. Teams I like to watch over Miami: Thunder, Lakers, Clippers, Bulls, Mavericks, Spurs, and even the Grizzlies.

* Game of Thrones Note: When a TV show allows you to hate/love characters, it’s doing something right. Last night did just that on the best show on TV. Theon Greyjoy (right) = hate. The Hound = love.

* If you can figure out Luol Deng’s current worth please let me, and the Chicago Bulls, know as soon as possible.

* SPORTS TWEET OF THE WEEKEND: Courtesy of ESPN’s Buster Olney — “ELIAS: The Twins have nine hits in their last four games, the fewest for any team in a four-game stretch in modern major-league history.”

* The “Fastest Two Minutes in Sports” is one of the coolest things out there. Except that’s the only two minutes I watch, so, sorry NBC and your Derby coverage doesn’t hold my attention.

* I’m not a parent, but I feel the people that truly want to have college signings are the parents of the athlete. It’s not that big of a deal to me if the high school wants to promote itself. Or even if a coach wants to brag about the fact he/she coached the player; I can deal with that. But to see a parent ask the college for a signing at the high school with the media invited as said player agrees to walk-on at a small NAIA school boggles my mind.

* And Finally, I’m a huge sappy guy when it comes to family. I grew up with my cousins more than just that, I relied on each as friends. So, it was fun having a big weekend with one side of the family coming in from Indiana on Friday night and then celebrating a 30th birthday on Saturday night. For me, nothing beats family.

–HOOCH

I’m torn on something.

First, for those that may not know me, please let me explain something that may help in what comes later in this post. I have not taken a step, literally, in nearly 15 years due to an automobile accident when I was 15 years old.

That needed to be said for this: I have a bit of a problem with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers “signing” Eric LeGrand as a symbolic gesture.

LeGrand before a game last year

Now, I am not speaking for LeGrand or acting as if I know him at all, because I obviously do not. We’re not in some kind of nationwide club where all wheel-bound folks discuss tires and joysticks. So, the gesture made by the Bucs, who are now coached by Greg Schiano who was LeGrand’s coach while at Rutgers, may be what he needs mentally to keep going. I truly hope that is not the case.

What gets me is this isn’t the first time we have seen this. Last summer, the Texas Rangers drafted a young man who had been hurt on the field of play, similar to LeGrand, and left paralyzed. I will say now what I said then – I hope this isn’t a PR move by the team.

Tampa Bay today, and the Rangers last summer, received some of the best publicity you could ever imagine. And it does look good without a doubt — helping a young athlete still reach his dream. But dreams change.

Five years from now the thought of being drafted or signing as a free agent will be an empty gesture. You know what will last? What will mean more? Pay for some of their physical, occupational, or other types of therapy. Provide housing improvement that allows a handicapped person better access because getting back in the home is, and will be, the biggest hurdle for both.

Or how about providing an outlet for each to obtain employment?

I’m usually not the one that plays the cynical card that tries and searches to see the negative in every move. But through personal experiences, I don’t want these guys to be led down the wrong path because life will be hard enough without those looking to exploit somebody’s problems.

Take a trip with WGEM SportsCenter host, Josh Houchins, as he recaps the weekend in his own weird way. And make sure to follow him on Twitter.

(NOTE: Due to computer user problems yesterday, this post didn’t appear. Sorry)

* As a commentor on the WGEM News Facebook page said after hearing of Derrick Rose’s season-ending ACL injury on Saturday — “BULLS*&T.” Makes sense, I guess.

* We’re a selfish society, so I do not feel bad saying this, but the DRose injury sucks for US as the viewer simply because it takes away a really exciting player from the postseason. He is a highlight reel when on the court and now we will not see him for a year or more.

* OK, NFL Draft thoughts in five, four, three, two, one…

• Illinois had four — one less than top team, Alabama — picks in first three rounds. They were tied with LSU and Stanford. Why wasn’t the team any better then?
• Of the three regional teams, I thought the Rams got the best players, yet have A TON of work to do to make sure they turn out.
• It pains me to say Pittsburgh understands everything about the NFL Draft.
• I have never been nervous about a Draft before until this year waiting to hopefully hear Jack Cornell’s name called. It didn’t happened. But the Ravens got a steal.
• This is what I mean when I say Ryan Tannehill was my favorite pick on Thursday, despite thinking he’ll be an average QB.
• The NFL Network may not be able to do as much as ESPN (by that I mean live shots, back footage, etc…), but its coverage of the event is pretty stinking good. Rich Eisen is so easy watching and listening to that he doesn’t get old. He knows many of us are watching for half the freaking day and it gets old. He uses that to his advantage by having some fun. And by calling out his co-workers, which is good for a laugh.

Think I still have my Captain America action figure at home.

* Great. Megan Fox is pregnant. Means I have another kid to pay for.

* The Avengers doesn’t look quite as good as The Dark Knight Rises (click link for latest trailer!!), but it still looks pretty solid. Mark Ruffalo is a solid choice as … the third Hulk? Yep, they have serious had three different ones for the movies.

* When he was dominating the state tournament in high school, somebody mentioned that he saw Quincy High School’s Luke Guthrie playing on the Big Boy Tour (that’s the PGA Tour for you non golf nerds) someday. I waved the person off as a just a fan. When he won his first Big Ten individual title last year, a different person mentioned the same thing. I waved him off. Well, now that he’s won the Big Ten again, I feel the need to run up to people admitting that his time is coming. The dude just keeps getting better when the pressure gets heavier. That’s an awesome sign.

* Got to hand it to the San Francisco PR Department. This is well done.

* And Finally, the Blues are done is my favorite player, Alex Pietrangelo cannot make it back. DONE!

–HOOCH

We are running a neat contest on WGEM SportsCenter, allowing listeners to e-mail how they feel the Top 10 goes tonight in the NFL Draft. Plus, they are asked to pick who the Chiefs and Bears select, too. Pretty simple. Pretty fun.

Well, just in case my Mock 10 turns out to be dead-on-accurate (hahahaha), I thought I better put it on paper and not just spoken on the show. As you notice, my top 10 doesn’t have Trent Richardson in it. If the Browns go a different direction like receiver, then Richardson becomes a guy teams start trading up to get. I am not trying to figure out trades. So, this a non-trade Mock! Here we go.

1) Andrew Luck, Colts: Duh.

2) Robert Griffin, III, Redskins: Duh, Part II.

3) Matt Kalil, Vikings: You have a QB in Ponder. You have a RB in Peterson. What you don’t have is a stud left side up front they once did. Kalil is the one guy that nobody can debate is NOT the topp guy at his position. There seems to be questions other places.

4) Justin Blackmon, Browns: Another team (Bengals) in the division drafted a receiver and QB in the first round last year and it worked out really well. The Browns think the same way and pick up a weapon on the outside and then draft a signal caller later in the round.

5) Morris Claiborne, Bucs: Ronde Barber’s not getting any younger, so why not draft his replacement. Tough thing is Claiborne is more Antonio Cromartie than Darrelle Revis.

6) Stephon Gilmore, Rams: With Blackmon gone, the Rams do what the Rams do and draft a cornerback. They very well could trade this pick to someone wanting Richardson, but they can team Gilmore with Cortland Finnegan and be solid for a while.

7) Fletcher Cox, Jags: Nobody is rising faster than Cox, so why not to Jacksonville.

8 ) Ryan Tannehill, Dolphins: Question: Is he any better than Matt Moore right now or the next 2-3 years? Tannehill’s name wasn’t even mentioned in the college season! I don’t like the pick, but it seems he will be the guy.

9) Luke Kuechly, Panthers: The LB from Boston College could the stud from this draft. Defense has to be better against some good offenses in the NFC South.

10) Michael Floyd, Bills: The team that’s always the toughest to call. Alabama’s Mark Barron could be the choice, but teaming Floyd with Stevie Johnson and David Nelson makes Ryan Fitzpatrick a happy man.

11) David DeCastro, Chiefs: Kansas City has been searching for another Will Shields and lands the best player in the draft.

19) Quinton Coples, Bears: Whatever defensive end left will be the pick. And why not bring in a guy from North Carolina … just like Julius Peppers.