October 9, 1998

by Jim Daves

In Jon Krakauer's best-selling book "Into Thin Air," the Seattle writer chronicles the perilous plight of a group of mountain climbers who attempted to scale Mt. Everest in May of 1996. Five members of Krakauer's party were killed when a blinding storm ambushed them near the top of the mountain.

Krakauer tries to explain the reasons individuals go through the risk and hardship to climb the world's tallest mountain.

Washington senior roverback Hakim Weatherspoon knows all about the challenge of climbing Mt. Everest ... even though he has never set foot on the 29,028-foot peak.

Weatherspoon's Mt. Everest is not measured in feet, but rather in yards. Exactly 100 yards. His version of Mt. Everest is a football field.

"People say, 'Let me get this straight. You have a 3.65 GPA. You are in computer engineering. You have an automatic job when you get out. You can do anything you want, but you're a walkon football player and you don't have a scholarship. Why?'"

Like the adventurers who challenge mountain tops, Weatherspoon's passion for football leaves many of his friends and peers puzzled. Why is such a bright young man, dedicating so much of his time to a sport where he rarely has seen the playing field?

His fellow computer engineering students and professors are often shocked to learn about his secret life away from the classroom. They do not realize it is a part of the drive that has made him so successful in his academic pursuits.

"Doing both is definitely two different worlds," Weatherspoon admits. "Doing both is a big challenge, but I like that."

Even his position coach, Scott Pelluer, is awed by his through commitment.

"He's one of those guys who could have quit any time he wanted," Pelluer says. "He hasn't had the opportunity to play as much as he would have wanted to. But, he has stuck with it and he's moved up the depth chart. He's a great team player. He works hard. He's unselfish and he's dying to help the team any way he can."

Weatherspoon has even questioned his own motives.

"For four years, I've asked myself every day, 'What am I doing.'" Weatherspoon says.

An unheralded all-conference football player at Evergreen High School in Vancouver, Weatherspoon was actually a better performer on the school's track team. He placed fourth in the 300 hurdles at the state meet as a senior.

As a senior he had opportunities to attend dozens of colleges and universities thanks to his 3.98 grade point average. Only a pair of A-minus grades in English kept him from posting perfect marks in high school.

Already admitted to the University, the spring of his senior year in high school Weatherspoon was awarded a partial college scholarship for being named his school's top scholar-athlete. Washington football coach Jim Lambright was the speaker at the banquet were Weatherspoon was recognized for his achievements. Following several conversations with Lambright and defensive coordinator Randy Hart, Weatherspoon was invited to be a walkon for the Huskies.

"Growing up, I would watch Washington playing in all of those Rose Bowls back in '91, '92 and '93," Weatherspoon says. "That was really excited to me. That was a dream of mine."

While he did not have any academic scholarships that were guaranteed for his four years of college, Weatherspoon has been diligent in pursuing financial aid that has covered his schooling costs. A NASA Space Grant and a two-year tuition scholarship from the University's Alumni Association have helped tremendously. Over the past four summers he has worked for Intel and worked his way up from the assembly line to working in the engineering department that designs computer chips.

His hard work to guarantee his academic success has only been matched by his determination to conquer his football goals.

"My first week was a nightmare. It was almost like going to kindergarten again," Weatherspoon recalls. "I didn't know anybody and the second day I pulled my hamstring. The next day I hurt the other hamstring."

Weatherspoon played through the discomfort and is proud to say that he has never again worn the red practice jersey that signifies an injured player.

By his second season he had learned the defense well enough to work his way into a backup role at cornerback. His first game action came in the Huskies' 41-21 victory vs. UCLA.

"My very first play they threw a bomb and I jumped up and had the ball in my hands and the receiver took it away for a catch," Weatherspoon says.

He has not been without his role models. His uncle, Don Weatherspoon, walked on to the program at Michigan State in 1966, eventually was awarded a scholarship, and played for the Spartans in the Rose Bowl.

Weatherspoon credits his parents' backgrounds, drive and worth ethic as the combination that has allowed him to achieve so much success. His mother, Sophie, teaches math at a middle school in Portland and his father, Anthony, was raised on a farm in Michigan.

During his career Weatherspoon has made spot appearances on defense and special teams. Last spring he moved to roverback and is now Nigel Burton's backup. It's a role that he feels suits him perfectly.

"I like roverback because I can use my natural ability, my mind," he says. "It's a position where you have to make a lot of quick decisions. It's challenging."

The challenge is what makes all of his time and efforts so worthwhile.

"I think I have grown a lot because of football," he says. "Not everybody can play it. It shows a lot of resolve and drive and determination. If you can do that, you can do just about anything else.

"Nobody has ever forced me to play football," Weatherspoon adds. "It was my own decision. It was my own dream. I guess you could say that it was my own mountain that I wanted to climb."