Neither fully understood why they needed to leave their mother and seven other siblings in Baton Rouge to move to California with their aunt. But more than a decade later, they understand now.
"I know for a fact if I was in Louisiana I might be dead, in jail or something negative," Caleb said. "When my aunt came and got us, it was positive from the start."
Joshua agreed.
"We grew up in a bad part of our neighborhood and she felt like she invested too much in us to leave us behind and have us possibly dead or selling drugs or something," Joshua said.
Their aunt, Patricia Strong, whom they considered a second mother, moved to California, got married and eventually sent for the two. She and her husband, Rodney, raised them.
With nine children at home at the time, Doretha, their mother, and Patricia figured the move would eventually be the best for the boys, although she didn't want to part ways.
"(Doretha) was sad but she knew it was a better place and the best thing for us," Caleb said. "If we went to California, there was a great chance for a successful life and successful career."
They immediately excelled in school and began playing football, which eventually landed them college scholarships.
"We started getting good grades and started playing football," Caleb said. "I knew from then on we'd have a positive future."
Now, both are in their second season with Utah State.
"Since the third grade, we've been on the same junior all- American football team and all the way up to freshman football, J.V. football and varsity football," Joshua said. "We've always been the team captains and pushed each other through each level of playing football."
With USC recruiting Caleb and UCLA recruiting Joshua, there was a small chance the two would play for different institutions, but Utah State came in and got both.
"We thought it would be cool to go to different schools so we could actually play against each other," Caleb said. "We've never been on opposite teams, so we know how competitive that it would be if we're going against each other. We also like the idea of playing with each other because we have our whole lives. We make each other better."
That's what made Utah State so enticing.
"We never expected Utah State to come, and they came in at the last minute and we weighed our options and realized this would be the best place for us," Joshua said.
Both saw time in their first season with the Aggies.
Caleb, a 6-foot-3, 189-pound safety, played in 10 of the Aggies' 11 games. Joshua was originally going to redshirt, but an injury to Marquise Charles forced him into action midway through the season.
Caleb, who is still undecided in his major, recorded 19 tackles, with most of them coming in the final three games.
Joshua, a 6-foot, 173-pound cornerback, missed the first six games in an effort to redshirt, and in his first action against nationally ranked Alabama, he recorded four tackles. He started the final four games of the year and finished with 21 tackles, two pass breakups and an interception.
Both entered fall camp as projected starters at their respective positions.
"I think my future here at Utah State is very bright," said Joshua, who will most likely major in communications. "If I keep working hard, it will continue to look bright."
Said Caleb: "I have to learn and get more confidence, and as long as I work hard, I'll have a good future here."
They have Oct. 21 circled on the calendar. The Aggies are at Louisiana Tech, and their mother will get the chance to see them play college football in person for the first time.
"She's very excited and happy for us and sometimes she wished she would have taken care of us and had more of a part in our lives," Caleb said. "She knew it was the best thing for us and we're not mad at her that she let us go."
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20060827/ai_n16696904
