Althoff nose tackle scores TD after mother dies

The shotgun blast bounced off the quarterback’s hands. He reached down to recover the fumble, but an unsuspecting blocker accidentally hit the football with his foot – and it splattered toward the end zone.

She died during her son’s soccer game.

Michele Henry-McGee had encouraged her discouraged son to stick with football from a young age. Drew McGee ultimately fell in love with the sport – and everything that came with it.

“I love having a brotherhood,” said McGee, a sophomore nose tackle at Althoff Catholic High School in Belleville, which plays Lena-Winslow for the Illinois 1A state championship on Friday.

It happened on a Monday. McGee qualified for the Althoff junior varsity team. Austin Frazier, the varsity coach, was walking to the sidelines on Oct. 14 when he heard strange screams. It was McGee’s uncle in the stands – Tim Henry trying to get Frazier’s attention.

Shortly thereafter, Frazier pulled McGee from the game.

“I walked him to the locker room,” Frazier said quietly.

Why do bad things happen to good people? Drew McGee is the sweetest person. He’s 15. He just exudes kindness – except, you know, when he tries to attack you.

“He’s the happiest, cheeriest prankster you’d ever want to meet,” Frazier said. “Practice hard, great boy. But he is something of a prototype of the lovable high school student. Everyone likes Drew.”

Althoff senior right tackle Patton Leib said, “He’s the team’s favorite.”

McGee explained that his mother had endometrial cancer – a boy shouldn’t have to know how to pronounce “endometrial” – and that “it spread to different areas and got stronger.”

She was 52 years old. A graduate of Lincoln High in East St. Louis, Henry-McGee previously worked for the Jack and Jill of America Foundation, the oldest African-American-led nonprofit organization in the United States. At the time of her death, Henry-McGee was working at the Center for Racial Harmony in Belleville.

The entire Althoff football team was present during their visit – “that wasn’t really a question,” said the coach. And they brought a jersey signed by each player to honor their teammate’s mother.

McGee remembered that emotional day — even though they’ve all been emotional lately — “just hugging everyone.”

McGee always appreciated the advice his mother often gave: “Make something positive out of the negative” — but this one?

“Drew is a special kid,” Frazier said. “If I was this age – shooting at my age, even now, losing my mother? I would be a wreck. He’s been really strong and stoic throughout, and I think that’s largely because he has so much support. I mean, he was at school the day after, and I think that’s just because he finds solace and solace with his football brothers.”

Apparently every team of boys who are active in sports refers to themselves as a “fraternity.” The word gets thrown around. It would be more of a story if there was an actual team out there somewhere not is called a brotherhood.

But when you’re 15 and your mother dies – and your teammates around you make you feel like you have an endless family – that’s actually what the word is all about.

Frazier teaches his players, especially the captains, “to set the tone and expectations for how we are going to interact with each other.” … We develop situations and conversations that allow them to be good people.”

And at least once a year, Frazier speaks to the fraternity about his own brother.

All three Frazier sons played football for Althoff. Austin graduated in 2004. By the time he was 20, his brother Eric was an Althoff senior and his brother Tim was a sophomore.

In May of this year, Tim died in a car accident.

“Nothing positive ever comes of it,” Austin Frazier said. “But I can say one of the reasons I love coaching is because I see my little brother in the guys I coach. Not a day goes by that I am not reminded of Tim. It could be the way a child fools around (playfully) in the group, or it could be the joy of success and smiling. So for me, coaching is about the most cathartic thing and process that I can experience – I’m very grateful to be in the position that I’m in. I kind of feel like I see parts of my brother every day.

“I talked to Drew a little bit about the loss. …It doesn’t feel better – it’s just something you learn to deal with differently over time. So one of my options is to be with these guys. The big thing about Drew that I was trying to express: There’s not a minute or a second that goes by that he doesn’t have 60 or 70 people willing to fight for him and be there for him.”

McGee’s first game back was at Granite City. He was fine until he wasn’t. As he prepared for the game, he started looking around the crowd. He thought about who wasn’t there.

“That’s when I got emotional,” he said.

In fact, that fall day in Granite City, he was standing on the same field where his happiest football moment had occurred.

As a freshman on JV last season, McGee had his number called. Well, his nickname is called.

“I think it happened during lunch — I had a honey bun or several honey buns,” he said of the pastry. “So everyone called me ‘Honey Bun’.”

Althoff’s “Honey Bun” is 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs about 230 pounds. He’s playing defense, but Frazier and the coaches “thought it would be fun if Drew scored.” So for a two-point conversion, they called for a play called the “Honey Bun,” which was a handoff to McGee. He actually scored a goal.

This season, Drew plays for both JV and varsity, the latter of which is undefeated. Star running back Dierre Hill Jr. is going to the University of Oregon.

And in the state quarterfinals, Althoff Catholic faced Casey-Westfield High.

That’s when the fumbling happened.

The one that hit the guy’s foot and splattered toward the end zone.

“So we were comfortably ahead,” Frazier said, “and the ball comes out just before the end zone.”

“Man!” McGee said, describing the play while flashing his infectious smile. “The center just let me out of my block – and I ran. When I first jumped on it I was shocked – I couldn’t believe the ball was just there for me.”

He recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchdown.

“If there had been a Vegas bet,” Frazier said, “he probably would have been the last kid you ever thought would score a touchdown in a quarterfinal playoff game.”

“When I stood up, I was really emotional,” McGee said. “I was so happy. As I got to the sidelines, I was overcome with emotion as I thought of my mother. She would have liked to see that.”

On the sidelines, the players celebrated with their brother.

And just like at the visitation, he hugged everyone.

“He made the play,” Frazier said. “He had a hard time. And then this moment happened and it’s just like that – you couldn’t have written a better story. It was one of those moments where it was like someone was looking out for him. And watching our children be so happy for him? I was glad I had sunglasses on because the old ball trainer was a little stuffy.”