From the Gridiron to Pocatello Police Force

POCATELLO, Idaho- They came from different backgrounds but Akilah Lacey, Jake Pele, Lance Cartwright and Justin Va'ena all have one thing in common; they played football and graduated from Idaho State and all four stayed in the Pocatello community as they are a part of the Pocatello police force.

All four feel the responsibility to give back to ISU and the community because of what Idaho State provided to them.
 
"The easiest thing is without football I don't have my family. I don't have my kids and I don't have my friends," Lacey said. "I am forever indebted to Idaho State because it has made my life the way it is right now. Without meeting these guys and without being introduced to hunting or snow, I don't think I would have ever appreciated nature or the weather the way I do now. The friends I made, the education I gained and the memories, I wouldn't trade them for anything."

These four Bengals are not the only former student-athletes who are a part of the Pocatello police force. Pocatello Chief of Police Scott Marchand is a former Bengal football player and Travis Namohala, who just graduated from ISU is preparing to take his test to be admitted into the academy.

While Marchand is from Pocatello, the other five individuals are from California, Washington, Utah and Hawai'i. A big reason why they have all remained an active part of the Pocatello community is because of Captain Roger Schei.

"They understand team work, discipline and hard work," Schei said on the former Bengal football players who are now a part of his team. "They have been involved in structure there whole career. They have life experiences and those are things we look for when looking at the big picture. They are in shape and they have a different perspective on things."

The perspective each individual brings is different and fascinating.

While they no longer play football they still feel like they are applying the techniques they learned on the gridiron.

"We get to come to work every day and put on a uniform," Lacey said. "It is just like playing ball. We put on our pads. Now our pads are bullet proof vests. We put on our pads, come in here and get a game plan. We go out and execute the play. If we all don't do the right thing the community is not safe."

All four of these individuals made the most of their collegiate experience at ISU and now they are trying to pass along the same advice to the current student-athletes.

"We tell all freshmen to get out of the numbered streets," Lacey said. "You have to see City Creek and realize there are deer out here. You look up at night and see these things called stars."

Here is a look at each individual's story.
  
Akilah Lacey, 2003-06
The idea of being a cop never entered the mind of Lacey during his playing career at ISU. He had aspirations of playing in the NFL. Lacey admits that before he entered the profession that he had a negative opinion about law enforcement.

"I was under the naive thinking it was a bunch of robotic non caring people and I thought I could change it," Lacey said. "Once I got here I realized my perception was total opposite."

Lacey said Captain Schei kept talking to him and at first his direct quote to Schei was, "I ain't going to be a cop."

"He kept talking to me about it and said I would be a good asset. It went from there," Lacey said.

Lacey is grateful to be a part of the Pocatello community.

"This is one of the few places you can have that American dream of a white picket fence and raise a family," Lacey said. "Pocatello gives you the opportunity because cost of living is cheaper and I have family and lots of friends out here."

Coming to Pocatello was one of many options Lacey had out of high school. He was recruited to play football at schools such as BYU, Nevada and ISU. A recruiting trip with 10 other potential Bengals sold him on coming to Idaho State.

"There were seven of us that were coming from California," he said. "All the ones that got offered were on the same plane. We were on the same connecting plane going home, except for one in Arizona. Right before we left our split in Salt Lake to go back home we had a quick meeting and said 'Are you coming? If you come I will come.' We have 17-18 year old kids saying they will make hand shake agreements if they come. To make a long story short four of those dudes were in the line at my wedding. We made that commitment and came together."

Those four individuals were Pago Togafau, Anthony Henderson, James Drake and Chaz Brewer. Lacey arrived at Idaho State as a 17-year old and for a while all he knew was Holt Arena, school and parties. Then something changed.

"All of a sudden I start meeting people outside of the athletic realm or people who didn't even go to Idaho State that decided to take you fishing in the snow," Lacey said.

Soon Pocatello became a place Lacey grew to love.

One experience Lacey had recently when he visited a local dry cleaners in Pocatello shows why he made the decision to enter the law enforcement profession.

"I was told you went from catching footballs to catching bad guys," Lacey said. "He then asked, 'Why did you stay here?' I told him 'You cheered for me and now it is my turn to help you out.' That is the mentality that we all bring to the table. We put the burden on ourselves because we want to represent our school and football well and we want to represent where we came from well as well."

Lance Cartwright, 2006-09
Being a cop was in Cartwright's blood from a very young age. His grandfather was a captain for the Utah Highway Patrol and ended up being a police chief.  His father was also a police officer.

"It was a no-brainer," Cartwright said. "I went to school for it. I got my degree for it. I knew it was what I was wanted to do."
Cartwright said he stayed in Pocatello because it reminded him of home in Layton, Utah.

"Layton blew up and is huge now," Cartwright said. "It has gotten three-times the size of when I was going to high school now. I like the slower pace and nicer people. You feel like you are making a difference in the community once in a while. Staying here seemed right."

Cartwright said that without Idaho State he would have nothing.

"I was going to enlist until they gave me my offer," he said. "I came up here with nothing and now I have a family. I came up here scared as hell.  I wasn't as far as these three but I was nervous. Now I have family and nieces and nephews and these guys to fall back on. It is really nice to be able to create what you want with your life instead of just the cookie cutter go-back home and live with mom and dad."

Cartwright said his decision to come to Idaho State was easy because the environment felt like family, instantly.

"From the time I met coach Borich it felt like I was talking to my old man," he said. "I injured my hand and he was the first one to call me.  My mom was in need of help so this was close where she could watch me play ball. She invested so much in me. I wanted her to be around and take part of this."

Cartwright admitted that when he first came to Idaho State that he was scarred and wanted to go home.

"I loved my brothers on the team but it is not like home and moms cooking," he said. "By the time I was a senior I lived in six different houses with 12 different people. You start forging these bonds.  You are going to their weddings and being in their lines. You start creating your foundation here where you can start pushing away from your parents and become a big boy. You create your family here. You find your wives and have kids."

Cartwright said that while joining the police force was a no-brainer he had to keep reminding Schei that he still had three-years left of school and that he would test when he graduated.

"Without him we aren't doing this right now," Cartwright said. "Without him we don't go talk to the athletes. Some of us don't get to be on a first name basis and fulfill that big brother role who need it. I'd probably be in Utah right now if it wasn't for him."

Jake Pele, 2010-13
Working in law enforcement was always in Pele's blood. The desire started when he participated in a ride-a-long in high school and it continued when arriving in Pocatello.

"I can't sit behind a desk for long," Pele said. "I have to be up and moving. It seemed like a good idea to give back. From a young age it was the only thing I could see myself doing that was active."

Pele credits Idaho State for allowing him to gain his education and meeting influential people.

"At 24 I didn't see myself doing what I am doing now at this age," he said. "I met my fiancé here so that has been a blessing. Without Idaho State there is no Pocatello Police."

Pele said a big reason for his decision to come to Idaho State took place when he ate with President Vailas at the Performing Arts Center.

"They had academic counselors sit next to you at every table," Pele said.

Pele said that one area that he has come to appreciate since graduating is the support the community has for ISU Athletics.

"When I graduated and started to going to the tailgates I was surprised by how much support was behind the players," Pele said. "There are so many alumni who stayed here in Pocatello. That was cool. Now I can be a person who can relate to the younger players."

Pele credits Schei's persistence in him joining the Pocatello Police.

"During my senior year, my family is there and my dad is a big dude," Pele said. "Here comes this 5-7 guy in a police uniform and he walks right in the middle of my family. Akilah and Lance were pointing to him saying I needed to know him."

Justin Va'ena, 2009-11
 Va'ena grew up in Oceanside, Calif., and his dream was and still is to become a gang task force officer.

"I feel like it is my way to make a difference in young kids' lives," he said. "I didn't plan on being an officer in Pocatello. One of my best friends is on the force. It became an opportunity to get my foot in the door. I made a decision to be here at least a minimum of 10 years. My ultimate goal is gang task force. If we happen to get that here I can see myself staying here for the rest of my life."

Now Pocatello is a place Va'ena calls home.  

"I planted roots in Pocatello," he said. "The people I care about and my church is here. By the time I graduated I made my mom upset because when I talk about my home I talk about Pocatello. It took graduating with my bachelors to realize Pocatello was my new home.

Va'ena is the newest member of the Pocatello police force and he feels a big responsibility to set an example to the people he associates with.

"It's big on our shoulders," he said. "Sometime in our life somebody told us we could be something. You don't here that a lot where I am from. That falls on our shoulders to encourage students that you can be someone. We are the light of the end of tunnel to tell them that."

Va'ena added that without ISU he wouldn't have gotten an education or be a pastor here in town. Everything goes to ISU for me."

Va'ena appreciates the faith former coach John Zamberlain had in him during the recruiting process.  

"I tore my ACL the last game of my football season," he said. "In my final meeting with Zamberlain he told me knew he I didn't have an ACL but he wanted me to come anyways. He genuinely cared about me as a person and wanted to see the best I had to offer on the field and in the classroom."

Va'ena said that he told Schei he wanted to be a cop one day and from that time forward he continually asked when he was going to take the test.

"If it wasn't for him pushing the fact and showing us how much he wanted us to be on the force, I wouldn't be doing it here in Pocatello," Va'ena said.