From the Windy City to the Family City

By ANDREW DeFRENCHI, ISRAEL SANTIAGO and JOSE JIMENEZ
Tower News

Manteca High campus monitor Emmit Gause was raised on the southside of Chicago, where “you need to stay on top of your Ps and Qs and know what side of town you are on,” he said. Gause emerged from the Windy City, enlisting in the Army. He said he followed his best friend into the service. Tower News took a ride with Gause, who spoke about his backstory before becoming a campus monitor. Gause also talked about his time in the service and how he found his passion for helping the youth as a coach and all-around role model.

Tower News: What made you want to be a coach?

Emmit Gause: There was a need in the community when I was 17 because a lot of adults where going through difficult times.

TN: When did you start to coach football?

EG: I started coaching football in the army. I joined the army because my best friend Steve, but he went into the Marines. He later became a full-time recruiter in Chicago.

TN: What did you do in the army?

EG: I was jumping out of planes up on the front line of the airborne infantry. Doing all the crazy stuff until after three years I blew my knee out. Then I changed jobs and became a quarter master.

TN: What was it like growing up in Chicago?

EG: It was rough. I grew up on the southside of Chicago, where we didn’t really have a lot. I couldn’t even play football in middle school because we couldn’t afford it. Then when I got into high school that’s where sports really started for me. The southside of Chicago can be rough. Growing up I had friends from all different sides and gangs, but I was looked at as a student-athlete, so I was able to stay away from gangs.

TN: Out of all your years of coaching, what did you enjoy most?

EG: For me, it’s not about winning or losing. It is about watching the players grow.