Coach: With ship sinking, Wharton star helped others

When Wharton football coach David Mitchell talks to others about former Wildcats football star Josh Powell, he uses the same line. "I always tell everyone, 'I will have to make an appointment to see him someday,'" Mitchell said. "He's going to be that important.”

Because of that, Mitchell was not surprised to hear that Powell, a linebacker who in February signed to play for Army, reportedly was somewhat of a hero recently in Mexico (complete story here). While Powell was celebrating his recent graduation from Wharton with friends from Wharton and Freedom on a 75-foot catamaran Saturday (Wharton tennis and soccer star Alex Bartholomew also was on the ship), the boat began to sink.

"Everybody just started panicking," Powell told Times reporter Thomas Kaplan. "People started yelling and screaming, 'The boat's sinking! The boat's sinking!' "

Mitchell has not yet spoken with Powell, who along with the other Tampa teens arrived home Monday night. But some of his assistants have.

"(Powell) was the last guy off the boat," Mitchell said. "He was so busy helping everybody else that he was the last one off. He was showing his West Point mentality. I'm very proud of that young man."

--KEITH NIEBUHR

Comments

I saw him on TV being interviewed.

He's really hot.

[Bob, South Tampa]

great kid, who wants to defend freedom.