The Legend Grows : A Dominant 282-Pounder, CSUN’s Wilson Battles Inconsistency

NORTHRIDGE —  The basketball game was decided, but what happened in the closing moments of that 1988 playoff became just another part of the Oscar Wilson legend.

“Oscar got loose on a breakaway,” said Century High Coach Greg Coombs, then the coach at Santa Ana High, where Wilson was playing. “He was only a sophomore, playing in a big playoff game, but he dribbled to the free-throw line and just took off.

“He tossed the ball off the backboard, caught it, then dunked it. It seems like he came out of nowhere; everyone remembers it.”

Funny how a brawny power forward, who is now a 6-foot-3, 282-pound football player and the linchpin in Cal State Northridge’s defensive line, could steal the spotlight from two of the area’s top prospects six years ago.

Fans packed the Chapman College gymnasium to see that Southern Section Division 4-A semifinal featuring Simi Valley’s Don MacLean--a future UCLA and NBA standout--and Santa Ana’s Bobby Joyce--one of Orange County’s top recruits who would attend Nevada Las Vegas.

But it was Wilson’s athletic display that became folklore. He scored 17 points in the Saints’ 76-61 loss to Simi Valley on that March evening, but it was the last two points that everyone in Santa Ana still talks about.

“People in Santa Ana will see me and say, ‘Are you the guy who had that dunk against Simi Valley?’ ” Wilson said. “It’s become a running joke with some of my friends.”

One of Wilson’s acquaintances broke his arm at school, trying to do the same dunk jumping off lunch tables.

Said Wilson: “Whenever he sees me, we laugh and he says, ‘You’re the reason I broke my arm. When you sign that NFL contract, we’re getting ready to sue you.’ ”

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Physical potential is something Wilson has always possessed.

At Santa Ana High, he was a multisport star who earned Times Orange County lineman of the year honors in 1988 and ’89. Only one other player in Orange County history, UCLA sophomore Travis Kirschke (Esperanza High), was named lineman of the year twice (’91 and ‘92).

After Wilson played for two seasons at Rancho Santiago College in 1990 and ‘92, he received little attention from major college programs and happily transferred to Northridge, calling the school a good fit because of its proximity to his home in Orange County. As a Matador, the pre-season Division I-AA All-American has drawn the attention of numerous pro scouts.

“A scout from every NFL team has been here to see our quarterback, J.J. O’Laughlin, and Oscar,” Northridge Coach Bob Burt said. “I think Oscar will end up in an NFL camp. He’s just too big, too fast and too strong not to make it.”

But Wilson’s high school grades kept him out of Division I college football’s limelight.

“His academic abilities were not there in high school,” said Orange football Coach Dick Hill, who coached Wilson at Santa Ana. “He didn’t have that work ethic and didn’t sacrifice enough to succeed in the classroom. But that’s an area where the community colleges excel.”

With Proposition 48 in effect, Wilson said, his low grades and test scores would have made him ineligible for his freshman year at a Division I university.

“I wanted to play, so I went to Rancho,” Wilson said. “I ended up being academically ineligible my second year there, but actually that experience was good for me too. It was like a vacation from football, and it helped me straighten things out.”

Said Rancho Santiago Coach Dave Ogas: “Oscar could have written his own ticket. He had some academic problems, but he persevered. He got himself eligible for his sophomore year, got his Associate of Arts degree, and now it’s great to see him succeed at Northridge.”

But coaches, fans, and even Wilson admit that he hasn’t played to his potential consistently.

“He can dominate a game when he wants to,” Burt said.

Said Hill: “There were things in high school that would seem completely impossible, but Oscar would do them. He would get double- or triple-teamed and still get the job done. We’d see it again on the game films, but still not truly believe it.”

The criticisms don’t irritate Wilson.

“My dad even tells me I’m not playing like I’m capable of,” Wilson said. “My coaches aren’t saying those things to put me down, but they’re trying to make me better. I don’t know what it is, but when I find that right chemistry. . . . “

Although Wilson hasn’t fulfilled all of the lofty expectations, he still leads the American West Conference with 5 1/2 sacks and is the team’s fourth-leading tackler. Many times, his impact is felt even when he doesn’t make the play.

“Oscar is constantly double-teamed,” Burt said. “But that aids our defense because it frees up everyone else.

“Sometimes, Oscar will try too hard or try to do too much. Sometimes it’s an effort thing, other times it’s positioning. It’s hard to describe why he hasn’t been more consistent. But when he gets it right, whoa. . . .”

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Wilson’s raw ability was apparent even when he was a ninth-grader at Santa Ana.

“He was a man among boys,” Coombs said. “I remember watching the freshman football games and people were just running to get out of Oscar’s way.”

One of Burt’s favorite Wilson moments came two weeks ago in a 20-10 loss to St. Mary’s.

“They had a first down on our four- or five-yard line but Oscar completely dominated the next three plays,” Burt said. “He had a batted ball, maybe a sack, but he just about stopped them on his own.

“But things like that don’t surprise me any more.”

What may surprise people is Wilson’s soft-spoken style off the field.

He is quick to credit his teammates for his success and thanks his parents and coaches for their support.

“I’m happy I got the opportunity to play at Northridge, and as far as the NFL goes, that will take care of itself,” Wilson said.

Burt knows pro scouts like O’Laughlin, a 6-3, 200-pound senior, and Wilson although they compete for a Division I-AA program.

“You always see kids playing in the pros from small schools so no, I don’t think they’re at a disadvantage,” Burt said. “And hey, if J.J. was throwing to J.J (Stokes) at UCLA, well. . . . “

Although Wilson knows that men smaller than he have made it to the NFL as defensive linemen (such as Ram defensive tackle D’Marco Farr, who is 6-1, 270) he is not obsessed with the dream of playing professionally.

“There’s a lot more to life than football,” Wilson said.

Wilson, the son of Oscar Jr., a cabinetmaker, and Ruth Ann, said they helped keep him focused on obtaining an education.

“I have about a year and a half to finish my sociology degree and I’ll get there,” Wilson said. “I’d love to get a job working with kids, maybe a social worker, probation officer or something to give back something to my neighborhood.

“Because if I could get just one kid to get off the streets, or to stay in school and maybe go to college, it would make it all worth it.”

Said Hill: “You see many fine young men that didn’t stick with it like Oscar did. They drop by the wayside and it breaks your heart.

“But it’s been great. He’s going to be a successful individual in whatever he does. He had to work on things that weren’t natural to him, yet he hung in there.”