LOREN LEDIN / HIGH SCHOOLS: Lopez shines through adversity to build a future
Loren Ledin
ROB VARELA/THE STAR St. Bonaventure wide receiver David Lopez will be attending Western New Mexico University in the fall. (Photo: Rob Varela)
ROB VARELA/THE STAR St. Bonaventure wide receiver David Lopez long dreamed of playing football at St. Bonaventure High. (Photo: Rob Varela)
David Lopez remembers the gun and the bullet that might have killed him had not fate or simple good luck intervened.
The bad guy, a gang member, came storming into the family home in Oxnard, looking for one of Lopez's older brothers.
Lopez was what — 7 years old? — when he watched his brother wrestle with the intruder and scuffle for the handgun.
'The guy was pointing the gun at both of us when my brother jumps him and sticks his finger into the trigger to stop it from firing,' recalls Lopez.
The brawl carried outside, where his brother broke loose, scurried inside, and slammed the front door. The gang member retaliated by firing shots through the door before fleeing.
'One of the bullets came through the door and hit my bed where I had been sleeping,' Lopez said as he recounts the story. 'If that happened when I was still in bed, I might not be talking to you right now.'
Still living, still breathing, Lopez is also very much appreciative of good things that happen even when life offers up bad circumstances.
His mother, Tisha, walked out on her youngest son and the entire family when Lopez was 7. The mother was too hooked on drugs to care about anything else.
One older brother joined a gang and roamed the streets, leaving the youngest sibling to wonder nightly whether he would be alive or dead the next morning.
Guess what? Hope shines through at unexpected times. All you need is a dream.
Lopez said he always dreamed of being happy, of being successful, of 'being a whole different person.'
'I knew I was surrounded by negative vibes,' Lopez said. 'I wanted to put that behind me. I knew if I didn't stay strong, I could have a life where I joined gangs and did drugs. I didn't want that. I wanted to be successful.'
Maybe good things do happen to good people. Or is that strong-willed and determined people?
Fast-forward all these years and it's a magical ride that keeps getting better.
Nurtured by his father Fred — always a pillar in his life — and supported by his brothers Stephen and Richard, who have found their own firm footings in life, David discovered football, thrived at St. Bonaventure High and uncovered personal peace and confidence that likely assures a bright future.
Last Friday, Lopez donned cap and gown and joined the Seraphs senior class in celebrating their commencement exercise. In a few short months, he will head off to Western New Mexico University as the proud recipient of a partial football scholarship and become the first family member to enroll in college. The wide receiver hopes to make a niche as a collegiate athlete.
His father beams at the son's achievements.
'I can't tell you what that means to me,' said Fred. 'Really, I consider what he has done a miracle. I'm so proud. When you think about all the bad things that happened to him, his life could have turned out much different. He is a special kid. He wants to be successful.'
How Lopez sidestepped the pitfalls to choose the right pathway reflects his own determination.
Lopez started playing youth football with the Oxnard Warriors, impressed coaches with his speed and hustle and soon settled on a viable goal.
'I knew I wanted to go to St. Bonaventure and play football,' he said. 'I watched those guys play when I was a kid, and I wanted to wear the uniform and play in big games. I wanted to be a part of it.'
If football gave him a goal, it also offered a purpose.
'Football made me feel good about myself,' he said. 'When you're on the field for a game or practice, it's all about football. I didn't have to worry about anything else but competing and getting better.'
The sport also landed Lopez a best friend and role model. Keegan Romero and Lopez hit it off as teammates in youth football and became fast friends. They shared a common dream, too.
'Wouldn't it be great if we both went to St. Bonaventure and played on the football team?' said Lopez. 'We used to talk about that all the time.'
It unfolded exactly that way. Lopez and Romero both enrolled at St. Bonventure, both found willing mentors among the Seraphs coaching staff and both cemented spots on the varsity team.
For Lopez, St. Bonaventure became much more than football. A young boy matured into a young man.
'I never cared about school or my grades until I got to St. Bonaventure,' said Lopez. 'I learned how to study. I learned how important it was to get good grades. My teachers and my coaches always made sure I was getting my work done.'
His dad also noticed a difference.
'He changed and it was all for the better,' said Fred. 'I saw the turnaround in him. He was talking differently. He was acting differently. He just became a better person.'
Armed with a high school diploma and an entry into college, Lopez embarks on the next phase in his life. Optimism is everywhere.
His brothers remained protective of their little brother through the tough times and now have straightened up their own lives. One is in the U.S. Navy, one has a good career.
'They always made it clear to the gangs in the neighborhood that they were to leave me alone,' said David. 'They always took care of me.'
Fred, divorced from Tisha, has tried to reach out to get the mother involved in David's life. She is not interested.
'Sure, it bothers me,' said David. 'But I also know I only want people in my life who want to be there.'
Lopez and Romero have turned into business entrepreneurs and currently work for real-estate agents on weekends, planting 'Open House' signs around neighborhoods.
'We're always thinking about ways we can make money,' said Lopez. 'I have a feeling we're going to end up in business together.'
And remember that dream about playing on the same high school football team? Now the two best pals will carry it to college.
Romero, like Lopez, is headed to Western New Mexico University.
'Hopefully, we're going to be roommates,' said Lopez. 'I can't wait to get to college and get started there. The future looks good.'