Gregori DL Osborne plays to honor mom’s memory

Brandy Henderson lived a hard life, rotating in and out her children’s lives as she searched for a foothold … only to slip again.

Trouble followed her at every turn, inevitably taking her to some very dark, very familiar places. Drugs and judges became regular company.

Still, Michael Osborne loved his mom. He clung to her leg before youth football practices, and cherished her shows of affection just before and after school.

“I was definitely a mama’s boy,” the 17-year-old said.

Those will be the memories he’ll cling to this fall as he enters his final year at Gregori High School with a heavy heart. Henderson, 37, died in April from heart failure, two months before her son would find a foothold of his own.

Osborne is a fast-rising defensive lineman coveted by four-year universities in California and Arizona. He averaged nearly a sack per game last season and earned an invitation to the Blue/Grey All-American Regional Combine at the College of San Mateo in June.

There, Osborne, built like a bear at 6-foot-1 and 260 pounds, crashed the combine, separating himself from a group of about 60.

“I like to consider myself the meanest and toughest person in Modesto City Schools,” Osborne said. “Not to brag, but I’m a pretty physical person on the football field. It’s a release of anger. I release every bit of emotion I have.”

The first-time participant was the top performer in his position group and asked back for the West Super Regional in July. Osborne was also the fastest player among the heavyweights.

“I was definitely nervous, but going against stronger competition makes my game better,” he said. “I got over the nerves and showed them my stuff.”

That performance landed him on the West Coast recruiting radar. Soon, letters began to arrive at his father’s house – Kenny Osborne had full-time custody of Osborne and his two twin sisters, Sarah and Valerie, at the time of Henderson’s death – from Sacramento State, Cal Poly and Arizona Christian.

From this foothold, Osborne began to see his future. The kid who changed schools six times before reaching Gregori and played in five youth football programs sought stability and a chance to make a difference.

He picked an educational path in line with a career in firefighting, enrolling in a Regional Occupational Program (ROP) course at Grace Davis High. Osborne says he will go to college and continue his football career.

“(My future) has become a lot clearer to me,” he said. “I’ve matured a lot over the past four or five months. This whole situation has left me with a softer heart.”

Osborne wants to leave a legacy at Gregori and the ripple effect has already begun within the football program. Osborne paced the Jaguars with 6.5 sacks despite missing two games with headaches. His combination of speed and size make him a versatile piece on the line of scrimmage.

“He’s so strong and fast for a lineman,” head coach Jason McCoy said. “He’s in on every play, whether he’s in on the tackle or creating a double team to free up the linebackers.”

The Jaguars have high hopes for the new season. The city of Modesto’s youngest program has increased its win total each year since fielding its first varsity team in 2011. Gregori was 7-4 and 4-2 in the Modesto Metro Conference last fall. This year, the Jaguars plan to challenge the establishment – three-time defending champion Downey.

“We’re talking about getting that championship, winning a playoff game for the first time in school history and going deep,” Osborne said. “We have high hopes and high goals, and this team is working hard to make them all come true.”

Osborne’s work on the field is a pillar in that plan, but his presence in the locker room is just as vital to the long-term growth of the program. He’s become a mentor for the young players, a role he embraces.

“He’s come a long way, just from last year to this year. He’s understanding what it takes to be a complete player,” McCoy said of Osborne. “He’s bought into lifting weights and coming to practice. He was willing to put himself into competition with the combines. He brings that attitude in the weight room and on the practice field every day.

“The young kids in our program, they see it. They see his work ethic and what it takes to be the best you can possibly be. He’s taken it to another level.”

Junior A.J. MacCaughtry pays close attention to Osborne as he transitions from outside linebacker to defensive line. Their friendship, he says, has evolved into a kinship.

“I’ve played football my whole life but I’ve only played linebacker,” MacCaughtry said. “So when my coach told me that I’m playing defensive line, I knew I could count on Ozzy to help me on the field and off. He’s pushed me and helped me every single practice. I’m truly blessed to have him take me under his wing this year, both on the field and off.”

After a tumultuous spring and summer, Osborne is at peace with the broken pieces of his life. He thanks many for keeping him together ... like a mosaic.

There is “tape” from The House, the church on the corner of Coffee Road and Briggsmore Avenue. During the tender weeks following his mother’s death, Osborne visited The House four times a week.

And then there is the “glue” from the Gregori faculty and staff, who have comforted two students through the loss of a parent in the last year.

“You worry about (the emotional toll), but we tried to surround Michael with good people and coaches,” McCoy said. “He knows we’re all there for him. We want him to know he has somebody to go to. He’s not alone.

“That’s what Gregori is about. It’s a family atmosphere. It sounds cliche, but we have some amazing people here that do amazing things for our kids.”

The return on investment: the Jags’ potential Division-I talent rolled into the summer season with a sense of purpose. He would play his senior season for his mother, so often his No. 1 cheerleader … wherever she was at the time.

Osborne channels the adversity of his youth – all that anger, confusion and bouts of loneliness – into adrenaline. That nitro boost turns the “mama’s boy” into a beast.

“My lasting memory of my mom …” Osborne said, pausing as he tried to pick one from many.

“I’ll remember the mornings when she would wake us up for school and then take us out to breakfast,” he shared, “and then after school, I’d do my homework with her. (Her death) tore me and my sisters apart. This season is dedicated to her.”

This story was originally published August 20, 2015 at 6:39 PM with the headline "Gregori DL Osborne plays to honor mom’s memory."