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.
