Hubert “Boo Boo” Thompson is Ready to Begin a New Life

Former Illinois prep football star Hubert “Boo Boo” Thompson was an all-state athlete in high school and also a two-time state wrestling champion. He was named to the USA Today All-USA Team and was a standout at Proviso West, where he won three sacks as a junior.

A two-time first team all-state selection and a member of the Parade, PrepStar and Reebok All-America teams, Thompson was a top prospect in the 1999 recruiting class. The National Recruiting Advisor named him the seventh player in the country. But, despite a solid performance, he was cut by the New Orleans Saints in November.

Despite his impressive athleticism, Thompson had a serious mental condition. It began in his late teenage years. By then, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and paranoid schizophrenia. While at Michigan State, he took medications to help manage his disorder.

In a recent interview with ESPN.com, Thompson said he didn’t want to be taken to prison. Instead, he is focused on getting forgiveness. And he is ready to begin a new life.

When he was a teenager, Thompson thought his mother was poisoning him. So, he threw boiling hot water on her. Although she survived, he feared for her life.

As a result of Thompson’s behavior, he was ordered into a psychiatric facility. He was also placed on probation. However, his mental state deteriorated after he returned to his mother’s home in Illinois.

During the last two years, he was arrested for attempted armed robbery and criminal trespassing. At the time, he was in the Elgin Mental Health Center. His father visited him a couple of times, but never for long.

After his release, he moved back to his mother’s home in Illinois. There, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and attended anger management groups. Though he took medication for his illness, his delusions made him violent. Eventually, he tried to kill his mother.

But, instead of committing him to a halfway house, the judge ordered him to a high-security state mental institution. Ultimately, Thompson was deemed not guilty of murder.

Until recently, the Chicago Tribune was unaware of Thompson’s alleged confession to murder. However, last week, the news of his arrest came to light.

Since then, reporters have interviewed several people close to Thompson. Some of them, including former teammates Little John Flowers and Steven Wagner, are convinced that he is guilty. They say that he has tried to scribble scripture and laughed maniacally. These allegations are largely untrue, but Thompson does have a delusional thought process.

On Wednesday, a couple of prominent athletes sat out the scrimmage because of injuries. Fortunately for Thompson, his teammates, including Ryan Diem of Glenbard North, were able to play. Even so, his team failed to score a touchdown.

Currently, he is held in the same jail as Philip Macklin, a convenience store robber. Thompson’s attorney, Steven Wagner, believes that Macklin has been indoctrinated into the gang world. Unlike the gang members, Macklin does not have a high-security guard.