Brandon Gainer knew he needed something to train with to play high school football.

So after his aunt bought him a set of weights for Christmas a couple of years ago, he built his own sled.

For the past two summers, Gainer has even invited some of his best friends to train with him using the same makeshift sled he made with his bare hands.

''I got a couple of pieces of wood, drilled a hole in it, then I took the seat off my bike and put the bar through it,'' Gainer said. ``Then I used the strap of one of those tote bags and some rope for the harness. It still works.''

He has never let a lack of means stop him from pursuing his dreams.

Gainer, 16, is an honors student with a 4.0-grade point average four months into his junior year at Central. He leads Miami-Dade County in rushing with 1,479 yards and has scored 16 touchdowns this season.

And he's the catalyst on a Rockets' squad that has won eight consecutive games and will attempt Saturday to beat two-time defending state and mythical national champion Northwestern for the second time this season when they play the Bulls in a Region 4-6A semifinal at FIU.

''Brandon is a very humble kid and a great human being,'' Central coach Telly Lockette said. ``He's kept the guys on this team grounded and is a true leader. That's a credit to his family.''

Gainer lives with his mother, Latosha, his brother, uncle, two aunts, his grandmother and two cousins in a four-bedroom apartment in Liberty City.

His dream of playing football began when he was 6 years old, playing against a couple of older cousins at nearby parks. He eventually played Optimist football at Gwen Cherry with other Dade stars such as Booker T. running back Eduardo Clements. When he got to high school, he enrolled at Edison, but a groin injury sidelined him. He eventually fell behind older running backs who had more experience.

After former Edison coach Corey Bell accepted a job at the University of Miami, Gainer transferred to Central. Central offensive coordinator Alex Snipes and former Rockets coach Manny Martin recognized his talent and gave him a chance to earn a starting role. That's when he met former Miami Dolphins tailback Mark Higgs, who is in his second season as the Rockets' running backs coach. Higgs took Gainer under his wing and has tried to help him both on and off the field.

''Brandon goes through things that a lot of kids in the inner city have to face every day,'' Higgs said. ``He wants to work hard and better himself, and he has the chance to do something no one else in his immediate family has done.''

Gainer discovered he had something else in common with Higgs. Both are asthmatic.

Higgs has taught him to channel his energy on the field so it wouldn't affect his breathing during games.

''Sometimes, when he gets too excited, it affects his breathing,'' said Higgs, who keeps Gainer's inhaler for him during games. ``He doesn't really have to go to it much when he's playing. I went through it in my pro career, but it's definitely something you can control.''

Higgs has also worked on helping Gainer develop mental toughness.

''The difference between a high school player and a college or pro player isn't only physical, it's very much mental,'' said Higgs, who played eight seasons in the NFL. ``I played in places like Buffalo, where you had to tune out everything. Brandon's got everything he needs physically, but he needs to mentally ready to be a great running back in the future.''

Colleges such as LSU, Georgia, Florida and Wisconsin have already begun recruiting Gainer, who is projected as one of the top prospects of the Class of 2010. Since earning a more active role in Central's offense, he has helped the Rockets recover from an 0-3 start.

Despite growing up in a rough neighborhood, Gainer has kept out of trouble under his family's guidance and is on track to graduate next December. He said he would like to study a career in juvenile justice.

''I've seen a lot of messed up things growing up and I've even come close to getting stopped a couple of times by cops because of my appearance,'' Gainer said. ``Coach [Higgs] has been on me to cut my long hair. I told him I'd do it before I get to college.''

Gainer has one famous cousin -- Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ocho Cinco. He hopes to be the first among his immediate family to play pro football.

His goal these days is to lead Central to its first state championship. On Thursday during Thanksgiving dinner, which he said his grandmother will cook, Gainer said he'll give thanks to the people who have helped him get to this point.

''We've had a lot of struggles at home, but they've been there for me,'' Gainer said. ``My mom's been to every game I've played since I was 6 years old. I just want to get out and reimburse them for all their love and support.''

Join the discussion

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. In order to post comments, you must be a registered user of MiamiHerald.com. Your username will show along with the comments you post. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

     Showing: Oldest first Newest first Most-recommended first Least-recommended first

@Nyx.AuthorDisplayName@ wrote on @Nyx.PostedAtTime@:

@Nyx.repliedToText@

@Nyx.replyAnswerText@

Reply to this Comment @Nyx.Recommender@ @Nyx.AbuseReporter@