St. Thomas Academy's Savion Hart runs over defensive lines and life's biggest hurdles

MINNEAPOLIS — Savion Hart grew up without much. He loves football, his friends and his cousin. His football career has flourished at St. Thomas Academy. As for his cousin, that's more complicated.

He is home on the football field on a day that begs for football, fall in Minnesota, and it's not lost on Hart's coach Travis Walch.

"An amazing opportunity to inherit. You know, you walk into a program and you say, 'I get to work with that running back,'" Walch said.

Hart has been putting on a show, and becoming a hot topic, because few can do what he does. And he does it with vengeance. But this is not the story of someone who has fast-tracked. He grew up in less-than-ideal circumstances.

"We were working on some different things with him and I said, 'Can you talk to me a little bit about some of the things that you've had to overcome growing up?' And he's like, 'On a daily basis, poverty,'" Walch said.

He grew up learning to get around on his own without a family car.

"Metro was the usual transit. I didn't have a car too much growing up, but you know, got around as we could," Hart said.

And he grew up with a cousin who was like a best friend — Marcelino Lopez. That's where the story gets more difficult. Lopez was convicted three years ago of murder, when he sought revenge on a former girlfriend. He's in prison for life. And Hart remembers the day.

"He was with us that morning. You know, one thing led to another, you know. Some things could have been saying to stop it," Hart said.

So he runs to make sure he does not follow his cousin's path. He stays in touch with Lopez via phone calls from prison.

"It's been affecting me ever since that day, but I still get to talk to him on the phone. And he tells me to just 'keep your head up, keep in football and stay in school,'" Hart said.

It has been coming together for him at St. Thomas Academy, his family a big part of his football goals beyond high school.

"Mainly what I want to do is go play college football, you never know what the next level from there," Hart said.

There has been attention is coming from colleges all over, and there are debates. Is he the best the state has to offer at this position?

"Can everyone look at you at the end of the year and say you're a very, very good running back and a top and running back in the state? I think the answer is becoming yes from a lot of the college guys," Walch said.

Hart has several colleges interested in him including the University of North Dakota and the University of St. Thomas. But on the football field he is reminded that life can be good, and the sport has helped give him that opportunity.

"How important it is to me and how far can take me," Hart said.