Randy Gregory’s story defies stereotypes, and ultimately makes no sense

Randy Gregory’s story defies stereotypes, and ultimately makes no sense.

He is not from some stereotypical “tough neighborhood,” nor does he have any of the other tired sports cliches of a guy who “made it.”

This is an articulate, thoughtful, bright guy whose actions have made him look stupid when he is not.

If you have any desire to see and know where some of Gregory’s problems began, they are in the halls of one of the more posh high schools in all of Indiana.

The math does not add up. Sometimes there are no analytics to explain a person’s struggles.

The starting defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys attended Hamilton Southeastern, located in the northeast Indianapolis suburb of Fishers. This area is mostly high dollar homes, and strip centers stuffed with Starbucks and the economic footprint so typical of a well to-do area.

You want your kid to go to Hamilton Southeastern. The high school is posh, loaded with multiple athletic gyms, fields, its own natatorium, media centers, and is so far removed from the “wrong side of the tracks” an actual train could not find this place with a GPS.

This was the high school home of Gregory, who starred here as a two-sport athlete, and soon found that his biggest problem was not “life” but himself, and time.

Since being reinstated by the NFL over the summer after essentially being suspended for the past two years, Gregory is a successful work in progress. He has been credited with 16 tackles and five sacks this season. He’s been a positive player for one of the best defenses in the league.

Gregory, who will return to Indy on Sunday to play the Colts, is an improving player. He is not a finished product, nor are the concerns that surround him over.

“Am I proud of all of the decisions he’s made? No.”

Along the walls of Hamilton Southeastern, between its gymnasium and aquatics center, are photos of all of its all-state athletes, including Gregory’s familiar smirk for his 2010 all-state picture. He is your average, nice looking high school senior.

Although he’s an NFL player, nothing about Gregory’s career is singled out at this school with an enrollment of more than 3,000 other than this photo. At Hamilton SE, Gregory is another kid who had a lot and took advantage of it, and made it.

The school has produced so many quality student athletes who have thrived on the college level. Among the honorees here includes former Michigan State basketball player Gary Harris, who recently signed a four-year, $84 million deal with the Denver Nuggets.

And the inside of these walls explains some, certainly not all, of what has dogged Gregory since he graduated.

“We never had problems with Randy Gregory when he was busy with basketball or football. He was a great kid with a great family. His dad went to Northwestern,” said the school’s long time athletic director, James Self. “My prayer is that Randy has learned some valuable lessons and has grown up. Am I proud of him? Yes. Am I proud of all of the decisions he’s made? No. When he was here we talked about him being a role model.

“I remember telling Randy, ‘You don’t have a choice of whether you are going to be a role model. You are. You are a talented athlete at Hamilton Southeastern and kids are going to look up to you.’”

That never registered. Or Randy didn’t care. For years. Maybe he does now.

According to faculty who were familiar with Gregory during his career at HSE, Gregory’s biggest problem was not his attitude or effort but rather that he was a follower. He was not a leader, and he simply had a tendency to follow the wrong people.

Not criminals. Just young kids making some dumb decisions.

“I loved the kid as a person and he was an amazing football and basketball player in high school,” said Scott May, Gregory’s high school coach.

That’s all May would say. For a high school coach to say so little about one of his former players who reached the NFL could be seen as a red flag.

“I really don’t think so,” Self said. “The only real red flag was that maybe he would be late sometimes, or that he was un-Godly talented and, at 16, he didn’t know how talented he was. He didn’t get in trouble here; he made some poor choices, but nothing big at all. We suspended him once but it wasn’t because of what he’s doing now.”

That was “the bus incident.”

Before a football game, Gregory consumed a considerable amount of water. On the school bus, he needed to use a bathroom. There wasn’t one. Instead, he relieved himself in a plastic bottle.

He then proceeded to thrust the bottle, which had the cap on, in a teammates’ face. Not exactly smart, and not exactly atypical of a high school male.

Either way, the gag did not go over well. Gregory was suspended for the next game, as was the coach.

The point was to make sure Gregory understood actions have consequences.

Unlike some other places, the Cowboys stuck by Gregory for his talent

Gregory was set to attend Purdue after high school, but he did not qualify academically. That’s why he spent one season at Arizona Western College.

Gregory started his football career at a place loaded with advantages.

Whether it was Hamilton Southeastern, Nebraska or the Cowboys, he’s had life-altering opportunities because of his family, because of his talent, and because people like him.

The Cowboys are not the first to believe in, and stand by, Gregory.

Unlike some other places, the Cowboys stuck by Gregory for his talent. If he didn’t have any, they would have cut him years ago.

They also like him.

The people of Hamilton Southeastern talk about what a nice kid Randy was, and like to brag on his current successes.

So far, at least this season, he has not let any of them, or the Cowboys, down.

This story was originally published December 13, 2018 at 12:23 PM.