His freedom was gone. And so was his scholarship.
It had all vanished, melting away into 15-month sentence at the Orin Allen Youth Rehabilitation Facility, where Dolphins rookie wide receiver Davone Bess spent his days regretting the decisions that put him there.
''Everyone knew I was getting ready to go to college,'' said Bess, who had graduated from high school weeks earlier with plans to attend Oregon State on a football scholarship. ``And here I was, away from my family, not knowing what was next.''
Bess knew only what was over. He had been arrested for possession of stolen weapons, a situation he said occurred when he gave a ride to a few friends who had lifted the goods when he wasn't present.
What happened in the months after his arrest, however, didn't just put Bess on a fascinating journey that has led him to an opportunity to make an NFL roster. It also humbled a person who realizes a second chance completely changed his life.
GRAINY FOOTAGE'
Serving his time at the facility in Byron, Calif., Bess' turnaround began when he earned a spot on a 7-on-7 football team that played squads from other rehabilitation centers in the area.
''I wasn't even in football shape,'' Bess said. ``I hadn't been doing much of anything at the time.''
But apparently, his athletic ability was still impressive enough. Bess didn't know it, but a friend of his high school coach had video taped of Bess' games. The person, Keith Bhonapha, was working as a graduate assistant under Hawaii coach June Jones.
Grainy footage of Bess resulted in immediate interest.
''He liked what he saw,'' Bess said. ``I guess he saw potential.''
When Bess finished his sentence, he immediately scheduled a trip to Hawaii, where he not only proved to the staff that he was athletic, but also revealed a personality that was far different than the one painted by his arrest.
He enrolled at the school, something his former college teammates said was the best thing that could have happened to him.
''I think Hawaii was a really good getaway for him from his old lifestyle, from all of that stuff,'' said Ryan Grice Mullen, who played with Bess at the school. ``When you go to Hawaii, you get away from everything. It was a way for him to start new, and he made the most of it.
``He was a real humble guy when he got there. You could tell he just loved the game, and he seemed to feel really thankful and blessed to be in the situation he was in.''
GOOD FOR EVERYONE
Eventually, everyone benefited. After three seasons, Bess had totaled 293 receptions for a whopping 3,610 receiving yards. He's the only player in school history with three 1,000-yard seasons.
When the NFL Draft advisory board projected he'd be a third-round choice this year, Bess decided to leave school early. But a slow 40-yard dash at the combine caused his stock to slip, which also caused him to slide on draft day.
The Dolphins, however, called in the fifth round to make sure Bess knew they were watching him closely. When he went undrafted, Miami pounced on his potential. And at this weekend's minicamp, Bess has begun to reveal why.
''I see a player that has pretty good ball skills right now,'' Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said. ``He certainly needs to do some things from a conditioning standpoint. But the one thing with him is, he has been in an offense where they are running a bunch of routes every game. I think that is a positive.''
For an undrafted free agent to make an NFL roster takes both chance and opportunity. But given a thin corps of wide receivers and the Dolphins' decision to go without drafting any other players at the position -- Bess might be in a good situation.
If indeed he manages to make the team, Bess said, he will remember his past as he plans for his future.
''I'm really thankful,'' Bess said. ``I owe several people a lot for taking a chance on me. First, at Hawaii. Now, in Miami. I'm just trying to work hard and make this team.''
