The following are the key events of  Dante's athletic career, in reverse chronological order.  They begin with his opportunity to play at Auburn University and go back through his ninth grade year.

2002-2003  -  Dante works most of the season as the first defensive lineman off the bench, most of the time backing up Spencer Johnson at defensive tackle.  Highlight of his season was being named defensive player of the game against Western Carolina.  Since January, he has been training in Cleveland to develop his individual abilities for the various combine workouts.

August 2001 - Dante receives and accepts an offer to attend school and play football for Auburn University.  He is now attending there.  His summer workouts have increased his bench press to 490 pounds and his 40 time to a consistent 4.6.

June 2001 - Dante completes his requirements for his degree from Montgomery Community College.  He needed 23 credit hours in his spring semester to meet the graduation requirements.  He earned a 2.7 grade point average taking 20 hours at Montgomery (while simultaneously maintaining a job to pay his room and board) and finished the last three hours in summer school.

Winter 2000 - Dante Booker just finished up his first college football season at Montgomery Community College.  This 6'3" 267lb. defensive end (with a 450 lb. bench and 4.7 40)  averaged a quarterback sack a game and a number of tackles behind the line of scrimmage.  He is actively being recruited by both ACC and Big 12 conference schools.  

Fall 2000 - Dante's first football game in seven years.  While playing defensive tackle for Montgomery Community College of Maryland, he records 3 first hits, 2 sacks, 1 fumble caused, 1 fumble recovered, 3 tackles behind the line, and ten total tackles, in just a little over 2 and a half quarters of play.  In his second game, he causes a fumble and returns it 20 yards for a score.

Summer 2000 - Dante transfers to Montgomery CC in nearby Maryland to be closer to his five year old son, Dante Jr.   He gives up his scholarship to Garden City to pay his way through the Maryland school.

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Dante and little Dante

Spring 2000 - Still recovering from knee surgery, Dante participates in spring football practice for Garden City CC.  They check his bench press, it has increased from around 400 to 465.  He reps 405 pounds 8 times. They time him in the 40, knowing that total reconstructive surgery on three of the major ligaments in his knee took place just 7 months earlier.  Dante runs a 4.7.  During practice, he approaches the coach and asks to be moved from offensive to defensive line.  He has so little experience, Coach isn't sure if his great plays are accidents or natural instinct

Fall 1999 - Dante heads out to Garden City CC in Kansas.  He has three weeks to try to win one of ten out of state scholarships.  Because of his inexperience and strength, Coach determines that Dante should try to make it as an offensive tackle, a position he has never played.  Dante earns a spot on the team and a scholarship.  Two days after Coach calls us and informs Dante of the news, Dante collapses in practice with a devastating knee injury caused by a teammate falling on his leg.  Coach fears he will never play any sports again, it is that bad.  It looks like every ligament in his knee is torn.  He is a 24 hour bus ride away from home and has to go through knee surgery alone.

Spring 1999 - Dante and John go over to Akron St. Vincent - St. Mary high school and video tape him lifting weights, running and jumping.  He hasn't touched a weight in a year, but benches 365 lbs.  He runs a 5.1 40 yd, dunks the basketball several times and weighs in at 270 lbs.  We have no tape of Dante playing football, because he hasn't played since he was a running back and linebacker as a freshman at Ellet HS.  The tape is sent to one coach, Bob Larson, the new head coach at Garden City CC in Kansas.  Coach Larson offers him the opportunity to try out for the team in August.  Dante begins working to save money for the trip.

Spring of 1999 - Dante and his son join us in our trip to Columbus to meet Deion Sanders.  Dante recommits his life to Christ at the end of Deion's message.

Winter '98-'99 - Dark days in his life.  Lots of struggles and confusion.  When he gets to his lowest point, Dante begins rebuilding everything one day at a time, through God.

Fall of 1998 - We lose touch with Dante.

Summer of 1998 - Dante buys a car.  The resulting bills cost him his opportunity to go back to Lackawanna CC because he wasn't able to pay for the summer school class that would have given him the twelve hours he needed.

January of 1998 - Dante leaves home for the first time.  Takes three classes at Lackawanna CC in Scranton, Pa., finishing with a 3.0. 

Fall of 1997 - Dante earns his GED.

Spring of 1997 - Dante's classmates graduate.  Dante points toward earning his GED.

Winter of 1996-7 - Dante is named to the All-City Basketball team in Akron while playing for Ellet HS. He averages 21 points and 12 rebounds a game.  Video of game dunks  Dunk 1   Dunk 2.

Winter of 1995-6 - Dante breaks the backboard in workouts with Akron East's basketball team.  He does it on a vertical dunk.  (We still have some of the glass).  Coach cuts him from the team. Still, this is when Dante met Greg Lewis.  Dante introduces him to John.   Meanwhile, a college coach looking for football talent at the school, meets Dante during one of the school days.  He knows he needs a stable place in his life to develop.  He offers him the chance to attend his school after Dante earns his GED and after sitting a year, play football for them.  He knows Dante has yet to play a varsity football game.

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Dante, John Saucier, little Johnny, Irv Smith, and Karel Smith
Irv came to speak at one of our events and was playing for the 
New Orleans Saints at the time.  Karel played at Penn State.

Summer of 1995 - Dante accepts Christ as his Savior at an evangelistic crusade that we took him to in Wooster, Ohio.  He attends it with Scotty Stewart and Brandon Wallace (Divine Soldiers).

Winter of 1994-5 - Dante plays for Ellet HS's varsity basketball team.  Unfortunately, he was ineligible for the previous fall's football season

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Dante (far right) joins us to watch Buchtel in the State Championship

1993-4 - Dante stars for the freshman football team and basketball team.  He also starts for both junior varsity teams.  He sees triple duty by dressing for both varsity teams as well.