Despite staying under the radar for nearly his entire athletic career, Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks stood tall on Feb. 1 when he was honored by the Orange County Youth Sports Foundation as its Sportsman of the Year in Newport Beach.
Hendricks was moved by the honor, especially since he was selected from a talent-rich area in Southern California.
"It was really cool," Hendricks said. "Not only when you look at the players who have come out of that area, but the athletes who had been given that award in previous years. Jerry West was on the list, and so was Jered Weaver.
"But it was very strange to be able to stand on stage and have all the ovations and attention on you. You never imagine that would come to you in your career.
"When I was growing up there in Orange County, I was very overlooked. There was so much talent in the area I was never thought of and not highly recruited."
Hendricks graduated in 2008 from Capistrano Valley High School, one year ahead of Bears quarterback Matt Barkley, who started at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana for four seasons before duplicating that feat at USC.
Barkley was one of the guest speakers who shared the stage with Hendricks.
"I didn’t even know he would be there at first," Hendricks said. "But then he got up and talked about me a little bit.
"It was strange. I grew up a USC fan, and I knew Barkley and he was a big deal, obviously. It was all a surreal moment. I wasn’t uncomfortable, but it was overwhelming in a way."
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