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Sentinel staff writer

APTOS — Joe Williams, 20, is a father, a student, a college basketball player, and a young man carving out a life for himself thousands of miles away from home.

At Cabrillo College, Williams is respected most by his peers for what he isn’t — a quitter.

The Morgan City, La., native is one of the seven remaining members of the men’s basketball team, which started the season with 15 players.

He’s probably the least likely candidate to stay. When the mental and physical demands of collegiate athletics took their toll, several players split for various reasons.

Williams had an easy way out if he wanted, especially after two of his good friends who made the cross-country journey with him from Louisiana bolted for home.

First-year coach Tony Marcopulos had a feeling he might have seen the last of the freshman after the team broke for the holidays, knowing the combination of homesickness, adversity and responsibility to his newborn son might lure Williams back to Morgan City for good.

Until Williams showed for practice two weeks later — just as he promised.

"I was pleasantly surprised he came back," Marcopulos said.

Williams wondered what the fuss was all about.

"That’s the way my mom raised me; if you start something, you finish it," Williams said. "Besides, at home there’s nothing waiting for me."

Nothing, except a reminder of why he left in the first place. Williams grew up in a tough neighborhood, and decided after graduation he’d be better off getting a fresh start somewhere else.

"There ain’t nothing but trouble where I’m from," Williams said. "Just people selling drugs and people who claim they’re in gangs."

Marcopulos needed players and, through his coaching colleagues, was put in touch with Williams and two of his friends. They had never met, other than by phone, but the parties agreed to try and make it work.

So Williams worked four jobs over the summer to save $1,200, which he brought with him on the three-day bus ride along with two suitcases, a small stereo and a pair of basketball shoes.

His friends Eric Hammond, a teammate at Morgan City High, and Trone Triggs, who attended a nearby rival high school, came with him but they didn’t last long.

Triggs went AWOL one day without a word to Marcopulos or any of his teammates. Hammond was dismissed for academic reasons. Williams stayed, and was practicing with Cabrillo on Nov. 1, 2000, the day his son, Leo Joseph Williams III, was born.

"We all came out together, and I didn’t think they’d leave just like that," Williams said. "But they’re grown men and they can make their own decisions. I’ve decided to make something of my life."

If Williams was hurt by the departure of his teammates, he didn’t let it show for long. Perhaps that’s because he’s been deserted before — by his father.

His parents split in the third grade, and Williams said for a while his relationship remained solid with Leo Williams Sr. They would have sleepovers and go on day-long fishing trips.

But his father’s role in his son’s upbringing eventually faded. Williams said his dad never came to one of his high school basketball games.

Williams moved on without him, in part, because he found a pretty good replacement — his mother.

Everyone in the gym knew Elizabeth Williams. She was the loudest, proudest fan, standing and cheering so vigorously nearly to the point of embarrassing her son. Though she worked fulltime as manager of a local Papa John’s, she was always there for Joe and his sister, Rakeshia Jenkins, 23.

Williams had his share of hard times — he failed 10th grade, and was too old to play basketball his senior season — but his mother kept him on a straight path.

She also gave him her blessing in the toughest decision of his life, to move out to California even though his longtime girlfriend, Earlisha Garrett, was pregnant with their son.

Joe Williams did not want to be a deadbeat dad, and said he’d do the right thing and take care of his newborn. His mother volunteered to help take care of the infant, and they agreed Joe’s college education would make him a better father in the long run.

Williams watched the birth of Leo Joseph III on a video Elizabeth sent him. Though the distance has damaged his relationship with Garrett, he said they plan to reconcile.

"I’m making a sacrifice right now by not seeing him," Williams said. "But I’m getting a higher education, and I’ll be the father that I never had."

Williams immediately grew close to his new teammates, who warmed to his upbeat and candid demeanor. He had to make a tough adjustment to the cost of living. The $275 he pays for a share of a Watsonville apartment, he says, would be good for "two apartments, and pay all the bills for the first month," in his hometown.

Outrageous rent, however, is a small price to pay for the opportunity to play college basketball while working toward a degree. Williams, an undecided major, says he doesn’t take it for granted.

That much has shown on the court. Williams, Marcopulos said, has been a welcome addition with his hustle and determination. The 6-foot-1 guard has averaged 13 points and five rebounds per game for Cabrillo (8-19, 3-7 in the Coast Conference).

Marcopulos said Williams has improved immensely since he joined the program, becoming a better shooter, defender, and developing a greater understanding of the game. Though he may lack flash, no one wants to win more.

"He’s been a real pleasant surprise," Marcopulos said. "He’s a good person who wants to make something better of himself."

Williams has so much energy, Marcopulos said, that he sometimes gets carried away. The player has received a couple of technical fouls this year.

"I think his competitive nature has rubbed off on others who might not have otherwise had it," Marcopulos said. "I’m trying to get him to channel his energy into positive enthusiasm."

As for his future, Williams vows he’ll return to Cabrillo again next year. He’s already kept his word once, and his resolve has earned the respect of his teammates.

"Give him a ton of credit," Cabrillo scoring leader Tim Dunegan said. "He’s got it the hardest of anyone. I know it’s really, really hard on him.

"And to go to class and play basketball is something to be proud of. We’re all proud of him for sure."

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