Humble I’ll stay
As I walked across the long glossy floor,
A standing crowd began to roar.
Unsteady I leaned forward to take a bow,
Water poured steadily off my brow.
Constrained by men with pens and pads
Pushing and pressing upon my face and head.
Heart beating at the speed of lightning.
Exciting yet extremely frightening.
Overwhelmed with joy yet wanting to scream,
Be this nightmare or be it a dream.
Yearning to proclaim this is only me,
Not worthy of fame at this degree.
Unsure of manner nor what to say,
Remain humble within is what I pray.
— Corey Maggette
Being hailed as one of the best basketball players in the country really isn’t a big deal to Corey Maggette.
That’s one reason why Fenwick’s 6-foot-6-inch All-State forward can keep his ego in check–even after saying yes to Duke’s recruiting overtures and politely turning down Illinois, Stanford, Kentucky, Georgetown and Clemson.
Maggette, the son of Jimmie and Marguerite Maggette, demonstrates morals and values not always associated with Generation Xers.
After three years of officiating Fenwick games, a west suburban basketball referee became enamored with Maggette’s respectful demeanor and sense of genuine sportsmanship.
“Everything is always `yes sir, no sir,’ and it’s all for real,” he said. “Corey Maggette is one of the best players I’ve ever seen, and he displays the right kind of character on the court.”
Remaining humble is so important to Maggette that he wrote a poem on the subject, and it was anonymously selected for publication in Fenwick’s literary magazine. His parents made him read it aloud at a family gathering.
Maggette gladly became the official guide whenever blind sports reporter Craig Lynch covered Fenwick games, leading him around the locker room and to a telephone.
“If you need help, anybody should do that because it’s the correct thing to do,” Maggette said. “I didn’t think it was such a big deal. It’s something I was taught to do.”
Fenwick coach John Quinn saw one of Maggette’s “lessons” first-hand. He was departing the Maggette home in Bellwood after a visit when Jimmie told him Corey would escort him out. Corey was busy chatting on the phone.
“Corey!” Jimmie shouted. “Get off that phone. Your coach is leaving.”
Maggette made a mad dash from his bedroom and walked Quinn to his car.
Averaging 24 points, 12 rebounds and five assists a game and being courted by Division I coaches across the country weren’t enough to budge Maggette from his humble stance.
Maggette won’t soon forget when Georgetown coach John Thompson told him: “If you don’t get too impressed when people talk good about you, you won’t get too depressed when they talk bad about you.”
Life as a role model isn’t easy, and Maggette will be the first to admit he isn’t bucking for sainthood. He already has served detention this year for being late to his 8 a.m. English class.
“I had to sit in an office after school and fold these fliers advertising an upcoming school function,” Maggette said. “I got a couple of funny looks from the other students, like, `he gets in trouble, too?’
“I try to avoid it because it does set a bad example for the younger students at school. But that is the good thing about Fenwick. If I do something wrong, I can’t get away with it. And, I don’t expect any special treatment just because I play ball.”
The source of Maggette’s equilibrium goes beyond his parents. Spend a little time at his grandfather’s house in Maywood and you’ll come away with a new appreciation for family values.
Willie Dugan, Marguerite’s father, is a Baptist minister. During a home visit, Stanford coach Mike Montgomery admitted being intimidated by Rev. Dugan’s presence and his strength of conviction.
“If I even think about lying, that man would see right through me,” Montgomery said.
The Christian belief that Maggette draws from his grandfather helped him cope with several hardships last season.
On opening night, his maternal grandmother died. On the morning of Fenwick’s supersectional loss to Thornton, his paternal grandmother died.
“He was pretty upset and we talked,” said Mary Marcotte, Maggette’s English teacher and ACT tutor who helped Maggette raise his test score four points, enough to qualify for a Division I scholarship.
“I asked him if his grandmother would’ve wanted him to play against Thornton. Corey said he was worried about how his dad was doing. I told him grandma would take care of his dad. Then he decided to play to give grandma `a chance to brag up there.’ “
