Nehemiah Warrick: A Story of Familial Influence

Nov. 27, 2007

By Dan Dugger, MSU Sports Information Student Assistant

Spartan safety Nehemiah Warrick has numerous influential relatives, even one that has played in the National Football League, but when it comes to his gridiron success, the senior credits a member of his family that has never donned a helmet or shoulder pads.

Warrick's cousin, Peter Warrick, was an All-American wide receiver at Florida State and played three years in the NFL, but it wasn't the former Seminole who sat by Nehemiah's side when he signed his National Letter of Intent to play at Michigan State, it was his grandmother, Ivory Mabry.

"I felt that it was real special for her to be there since she was a real big part of my life," Warrick said. "She was something special because if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have been in that situation.

"She raised me since I was a kid and she was there for me through everything, and she is my everything. She kept my head straight and she made sure I had the best of things and did everything she could do for me. Out of anybody that was there, I wanted to make sure that she was right next to me because she is why I made it that far."

But before making it to East Lansing, the Florida native had a detour in the Midwest. Academic issues forced "Nemo," as Warrick is colloquially known, to walk on at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College. By simply surveying the secondary on a fall Saturday, one could easily think that Warrick, with his punishing style of hitting, was always a defender. But throughout most of his early career, Warrick was a wide receiver.

At Bayshore High School in Bradenton, Fla., he caught passes from current teammate and then-quarterback, Sir Darean Adams. In his first year at Hutchinson, Warrick had 36 receptions for 516 yards and four touchdowns, but out of necessity, his coaches were eventually forced to play him in the secondary.

"I played receiver all my life even until my last year in Junior College," Warrick said. "My coaches threw me at cornerback when they truly had to and I made a big play and I think it took like three weeks to persuade me, but I tried it out and everything worked out for the best."

Warrick's position switch obviously worked out for the best, as he landed NJCAA first-team All-America honors his final year at Hutchinson and a scholarship offer from MSU. While Warrick could easily credit himself for his success, he constantly praises his Grandma Mabry.

"Through it all, from Juco to the Big Ten, I have to credit my grandma," Warrick said. "Everything in my life that was positive on and off the field, it all stemmed from my grandma's influence. No matter what I was going through she always helped to keep me focused."

Ironically, one tangible that Warrick did have to focus on as a cornerback in Junior College was nearby Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College's star wide receiver and current Spartan, Devin Thomas.

"Playing against Devin was a great experience, first play of the game he went over my cornerback for like a 60-yard pass," Warrick said laughing. "He did great, I had a pretty good game but he won the game so all the credit goes to him and we still talk about playing against each other to this day.

"I would have never thought that Devin and I would be playing on the same team in the Big Ten. It's funny that when I signed he had signed a couple days before me it was crazy."

Thomas, who recently became just the fourth MSU receiver to amass more than 1,000 yards in a season, fondly remembers when his team took on Hutchinson.

"I definitely remember when I went up against Nemo's team, as a matter of fact, I went deep on them a few times in that game," said Thomas, who recorded 74 yards receiving and one touchdown in the contest. "Our team won the game, but it's crazy now that we both play on the same team."

Nowadays, Warrick drives opposing coaches and players crazy with his play on the field. The Spartan senior has been a defensive mainstay, starting 19 games in his two seasons with the Spartans, and is currently fourth on the team with 51 tackles.

"He's a hard worker, and he plays extremely hard every day," Secondary Coach Harlon Barnett said. "He works as hard as he does in practice as he does in the game and that's something that you are really impressed with, his carryover. He's also not afraid to come up and make a big hit either, that's what I love about him."

Thanks to the guidance and influence of his grandmother, there is a lot to love about Spartan senior Nehemiah Warrick.

Feature originally published in Spartan Sports Zone Magazine vs. Penn State