Chicago Bears running back inspired campus monitor

Manteca High campus monitor Emmit Gause (right) talks with student Devin Richardson outside the Leadership classroom during third period on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. (Daniel Garcia Arellano/The Tower)

Manteca High campus monitor Emmit Gause helps the Leadership class with posters on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. (Daniel Garcia Arellano/The Tower)

By ADDISON JACKSON & OWEN GULLY
The Tower

Manteca High School campus monitor Emmit Gause shared his history as a youth in a gang-infested environment to the Journalism students at Manteca High School.

As an athlete, Gause, who proudly wore his Buffalo shirt and hat, had a different encounter with gang violence than most. “Heavy gang activities going against each other, they didn't mess with athletes,” he said.

His involvement in sports such as football, baseball, track, wrestling, and swimming protected him from the surrounding dangers he faced. It was “rough for people who weren’t athletes,” he noted.

Although his friends tried to protect him, they couldn’t prevent the loss he faced due to a friend getting caught in rival crossfire. Through the adversity he experienced, Gause still maintained his balance with schoolwork and sports. He was motivated by his role model Walter “Sweetness” Payton, a legendary Chicago Bears running back.

Gause describes Payton as a “beast” who was only about an inch taller than himself and probably weighed less. What made Payton so admirable to young Gause was his incredible work ethic, which inspired him to stay focused and not deviate from his goals, especially in a city where it’s easy to get taken by dangerous activity.

The most important life lesson he learned during his childhood in Chicago was realizing the importance of loyalty and honesty. He learned how to be indifferent when dealing with gangs and “staying loyal to both sides without becoming an opp”. These values carried him through his life and shaped him into the person we all know and appreciate today.

Gause said Chicago was filled with gang activity in the 1960s and 70s, but it didn’t stop him from succeeding in sports.

“Growing up in Chicago was rough,” he said.

Gause, who would jump from planes during his time in the military and coach several teams in the service, was an extremely athletic kid. Sports could have been in Gause’s future as he had an offer to Texas A&M for baseball and was quicker than light.

He chose a different route as he enlisted in the military, serving in four different active war zones.

“No matter how much you try, you just can’t forget,” Gause said of his experiences.

While the military gave him a chance to hone his ability to coach, it also provided him with a chance to start a family. He met his wife in the service and eventually followed her to Manteca, where he would take employment at Manteca High and continue his role as a coach. Gause has assisted the track and softball programs and is a member of the inaugural flag football program. He also serves the campus as a longtime member of its Boosters Club.