Waters making waves at West Catholic

IT'S ALL ABOUT the hyphen . . . however unusually placed it may be.

In an era when more and more kids go through life with double surnames, Todd-Jamal Waters boasts his distinguishing mark on the front side.

"My mom said she couldn't decide which name she wanted to choose, so she gave me both of them," Waters said. "Yup, I still have a middle name, too."

Todd-Jamal Warren "T-J" Waters, a senior, is a 6-4, 225-pound guard and strongside linebacker for West Catholic High, the defending Class AA state champion, and two things aren't likely to end at that school - his football career and zest for making the most of his life.

Waters ranks among the top 50 students in his class, serves as a treasurer for the student council - "I don't touch the money," he quipped. "I just make sure it all gets turned in"- and is giving strong consideration to attending a service academy.

Navy and Virginia Military Institute already have made offers. Army, Waters thinks, is on the verge, along with Fordham. Villanova and New Hampshire also are sniffing.

Former Burr (Class of 2010) Jake Zuzek is now an offensive guard at Navy. Raymond Maples ('09) is a running back at Army.

"Jake gives me good pointers on how things are done down there," Waters said. "I talk to him more often."

Thus, you have Waters' permission to assume his interest is stronger in boats than tanks.

Meanwhile, Waters and West go 'way back. As early as 2004, encouraged by a grade-school teacher, West statman Ed "Huck" Palmer, Waters was serving as an every-so-often Burrs ballboy.

"That was a lot of fun," he remembered Tuesday before the squad began a session at its umpteenth practice site, a playground at 48th and Woodland. "The coaches, players . . . Everybody was nice to me. A lot of them shook my hand. Made me feel important. That got me excited. It was almost like I was making college visits.

"I loved watching Pre'Andre Watson [star linebacker, '08]. That guy was my idol. If not for West, I probably would have gone to a public school. But I knew I wanted to be part of this."

As West wound its way through exercises, Waters was the one barking out orders, though other captains were on hand. Coach Brian Fluck could have predicted as much. And he knows Waters will carry himself well going forward as a true student-athlete bound for pillar-of-society status.

"I could definitely see T-J going to a service academy," Fluck said. "He's the type of kid who could handle that regimentation. After you graduate from a place like that, you have so many opportunities. You're set for life. He's a great kid.

"He's such a hard worker. On the field, he brings it on every single play, and, because he has that good head on his shoulders, he's always in the right spot."

Hard to believe now, but 3 years ago, that spot was sometimes quarterback. While also dabbling in other positions, Waters served as a frosh-team backup to the guy who's now the varsity QB starter, Jaleel Reed. But T-J kept growing and Fluck figured positions featuring major banging would be his best fit.

This season, Waters started out as a down lineman.

"We figured he could help us with pass-rushing," Fluck said. "That only lasted one game. He's more valuable at linebacker."

Said Waters: "I love linebacker. You get to run around and hit people."

He paused, then added with a laugh, "I can't stand offense, honestly. It's just that defense satisfies me so much more. I guess because our strong defense sets up so many of our scores."

Waters is the only current Burr who started both ways for last year's squad. (Another mainstay, fullback-linebacker Tristin Freeman, also is drawing service-academy interest.)

"It was so cool to win a state championship. That's why I'm striving so hard to win another," Waters said. "It means the world to me to be a part of this program, and that's because of all the hard work I've put in.

"The best thing about last year was all the moments we shared as a team. Even the bad ones, because we were going through them together. That was one helluva feeling."

In 2010, against larger schools, West started with a 1-2 mark. This year, against the same level of competition, the numbers surrounding the hyphen were 0 and 3, and the points disadvantage was 71-7. The Burrs are now 3-3.

"I didn't expect to start out that slow," Waters said. "As those games progressed, we were getting more and more frustrated. The mood was kind of down. But coach Fluck got on us, we worked harder and harder and things have turned around."

Waters, who lives on Sherwood Road near 76th in Overbrook Park, expects to major in mechanical engineering or business.

Change is always possible, of course, but it does sound as if his next stop will be Annapolis, Md. The attraction, he said, goes back to last spring when Dale Pehrson, Navy's recruiting coordinator, paid a visit to West.

"He made it sound like an excellent choice," Waters noted. "He drew my attention to there, and that's where it has stayed."

Note to Navy: Wanna make things a done deal? Change the nickname to Mid-Shipmen.