Saturday, August 25, 2001
[ UH WARRIOR FOOTBALL ]
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Thero Mitchell is one of the top candidates to
start at running back for Hawaii this year.
UH back Mitchell Thero Mitchell's first name rhymes with hero. But the Hawaii running back doesn't consider himself one.
is a hero
The running back, who is
contending for a starting spot,
nabs a 7-Eleven shoplifterBy Dave Reardon
dreardon@starbulletin.comJames Oreta, however, does.
"He's awesome," Oreta said. "And he's so humble. I'm sure he wouldn't tell you about this."
"This" is an incident last week at the 7-Eleven convenience store where Oreta works the graveyard shift. Mitchell frequents the store because it is close to the apartment he and defensive lineman Brett Clowers share near UH.
"A guy got a soda and a sandwich and was walking around the store eating it," Oreta said. "I asked him to pay for it and he ran out of the store.
"Thero happened to be there. He asked me if I wanted him to chase the guy down. I said 'yes,' and that's exactly what he did. Thero grabbed him around the corner and brought him back."
Mitchell, a junior from Bothell, Wash., talked about it only reluctantly.
"I just went out there and grabbed the guy and stopped him so he wouldn't run away. He was just right around the corner. It wasn't anything strenuous. I just jogged after him.
"I just kind of kept him there and told him that it's not cool to shoplift," Mitchell said. "Then the cops walked up and that was it for him. I felt kind of bad for him."
Mitchell, who laughed when asked if he would now consider a future in law enforcement, didn't tell his teammates about it.
"Wow. I wouldn't doubt that he would help, but I didn't hear that story," running back Jonathan Kauka said.
"He's really the kind of guy that would keep that kind of stuff to himself and not be boastful about it. He would just see it as an opportunity to do something good and not have to brag about it."
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Ka Leo O Hawaii
