April 14, 2010

By Laura Wickstrom, Illinois Sports Information

From a tragic past to an optimistic future, Illinois' offensive lineman Hugh Thornton has been through it all, and his life experiences have shaped who he is today.

At the age of six, Thornton moved with his mom and five sisters to Jamaica after his parents' divorce. They lived simply, but moving is never easy.

"At first it was hard," Thornton said of the move. " We lived in tents for the first couple months while we were building our house. We didn't have electricity or running water for a long time. It was rough, but it was a good experience. It helped me with a lot of life lessons. It was a good life."

Thornton's mother had to play both father and mother in his life, but for a young boy, growing up without a father figure can be difficult.

"My mom and I were really close," Thornton said. "At the time I didn't think so, but as I started to mature I definitely starting realizing that it was hard not to have a father figure around."

At the age of 12, Hugh moved to Idaho to live with his father because his mom thought he needed a father figure in his life. He left Jamaica in September, right at the beginning of a new school year, and the transition was not easy.

"It was hard to adjust going from a mother figure to a father figure," Thornton said. "It had been awhile since I had been in the U.S. and the environment with school was a major change."

In December that year, Hugh went back to Jamaica to visit his family for Christmas break. What started out as a fun family gathering ended in tragedy on January 2, 2004.

"All my family was there and it was a good visit," Thornton recalled. "My mom, one of my sisters and I were watching a movie and they fell asleep, so I went to my room to bed. In the morning I woke up and my nephew was there and we were running around. Then, my aunt started screaming. I went to see what was happening and I saw that my mom and my little sister, who was eight at the time, had been murdered."

From that moment on, Thornton's life has never been the same. A 12-year-old boy saw the most important person in his life dead and bloodied.

"I didn't know how to react," Thornton said. "I didn't know if the guy who had murdered my mom was still in the house. I got my aunt and nephew out of the house and called the police.

"Everything was running through my head. My life was changing. I didn't know what was going to happen to me."

The image of his dead mom and sister lingers in Thornton's head, but dealing with the tragedy has become easier as the years pass. Still, it's something that he will never completely heal from.

"I've gotten better at dealing with it," Thornton said. "My mom was the biggest part of my life. She held my sisters and me together. She raised us and took care of us. Even though I moved to Idaho, it was a big deal because I didn't have a mom at all anymore. People like my dad and stepmom tried to fill that part, but it hurts to be at this level and have all of these accomplishments when she's not there to see them."

Offensive line Coach Gilbert has seen Hugh grow and mature through football and in life, and now he's making another transition from guard to tackle on the offensive line.

"He came in here and had some issues, but the thing with Hugh is that if he knows you're going to be there for him, he trusts you, and he's going to listen," Gilbert said. "He's matured very much. You can see him progressing as a person on top of just being a football player. It's been a transition for him and he's doing a good job."

Thornton's athletic success has helped him deal with his past, and his mom has been an inspiration for him to excel.

"Football is definitely an outlet," Thornton said. "When I come out here or when I'm doing anything that has to do with football, I get to take my mind off of everything - all the stress, and life, and what's happened in the past. I get to come out here and be a different person. I know my mom would want the best for me and I feel like by doing this I'm making her happy and making her proud."

Spring Practice Update
Illinois completed the ninth of 15 spring sessions on Wednesday evening. The Illini started off practice with individual workouts on the east practice fields before moving into Memorial Stadium for the final hour for a scrimmage. The team has Thursday off before returning to the field on Friday evening for workout #10.