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By John Gearan ’65
Joe Petrelli loves Torey Thomas like a son. So the fright in the quivering voice of this kid of 13 shot right to his heart.
Over the phone that day, Torey told “Mr. P” that folks were telling him he was “a bleeder” and might never be able to play basketball again. That he had something called hemophilia.
Torey’s mother, Rosemary, is a transmitter of this disease. Torey had been having chronic nose bleeds. And doctors were expressing concern.
Petrelli, a 1973 Holy Cross grad and bonds trader, had grown close to Torey. His son Kyle and Torey played on the same youth basketball team in White Plains, N.Y. “He’s part of the family. He still goes out with us on my birthday. He’d have sleepovers with Kyle. Susan and I consider Torey our fifth kid.”
Fortunately, Petrelli had experience with blood problems. His iron deficiency had been treated at the Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City. He allayed Torey’s fears and arranged testing at Weill Cornell for Torey, his mom and his younger half-brother Trevon.
Torey received a clean bill of health. But it was determined that Trevon has a deficiency in plasma coagulation factor IX, known as Hemophilia B. His mom, a nursing home social worker and community liaison, has earned certification to give Trevon the required injections.
“My brother can’t play contact sports, but he’s the most courageous kid I know. He is very smart, really copes well and is always optimistic,” says Torey, admiringly.
Petrelli is just one of many who have been drawn to Torey, not because of his amazing athleticism, but because of his magnetic personality. Torey credits “Mr. P” and several other adult males in his life for becoming “father figures” and providing him with guidance, goals and structure.
Torey says he has no relationship with his own father, who left his mom when she was pregnant with him. Besides Trevon, now 12, he has two older sisters, Tasharna and Tammy Thomas, and a stepfather, Greg Williams.
Growing up on hard-scrabbled Ferris Avenue in White Plains, Torey acknowledges he was enveloped by poverty and folks caught in the grip of personal stagnation.
“Ferris Avenue is like quicksand,” Torey explains. “A lot of things are going on along that strip. People get stuck and can’t get out. I love the people there, and they love and care for me. But I want to become something more, and I knew hard work and sacrifice would get me loose.”
Torey remembers his sisters bringing him to the park off Ferris Avenue. “I just gravitated to the courts,” recalls Torey. His agility and speed drew attention. He played at the White Plains YMCA, becoming a teammate and pal of Joey Papalardo Jr. whose father Torey calls “Coach P.’’
Joe, who is retired after selling his distributing business, and Gloria Papalardo consider Torey part of the family.
Over time, Torey, Joey Papalardo and Kyle Petrelli became involved in a hoop league at the Don Bosco Community Center in neighboring Port Chester, N.Y. Their coach, Billy Walsh, had played for Frank McGuire at South Carolina. He would be added to Torey’s growing list of mentors. “We were there to make sure kids like Torey didn’t fall through the cracks,” says Joe Papalardo.
Torey, a top student, won a scholarship to Trinity Catholic in Stamford, Conn., where Walsh coached the first-year students and Papalardo served as his assistant. Torey made all the necessary sacrifices. He got up at 6 o’clock each morning and made the 30-minute trip from White Plains to Stamford where he would catch a van to Trinity. He attacked academics with the same ferocity he approached sports.
At Trinity, Torey’s unusual leadership ability became obvious. He progressed quickly from freshman ball to the varsity. Just before tournament time, Coach Mike Walsh had his poised point guard running the offense.
“When the kids were freshmen, Coach (Billy) Walsh challenged his team—‘How many sit-ups and push-ups can you guys do?’” recalls Papalardo. “Torey replies, ‘What about a thousand each?’ Well, Coach Walsh cut that number back to something like 50 ... but Torey would do a thousand every day. The other kids knew who their team leader would be,” adds Papalardo.
What followed was a spectacular schoolboy career. As a junior and senior, Torey sparked Trinity to back-to-back Connecticut championships. He set a school record in assists (689), scored 1,140 points and, as a 5-9 (now 5-11) guard, pulled down 527 rebounds. Twice, he made first-team All-State. As a senior Torey was Connecticut Player of the Year, making everyone around him, including teammate David McClure (now at Duke), a better performer.
A Passion You Can't Teach continued >>
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