Michigan State Trooper Turns Speedy Teen Who Fled Cops Into Track Star

Jet, May 21, 2001

Three years ago while Quincy Roberts was loitering on an area street corner, he ran away when the Michigan State Police headed in his direction.

Michigan State Trooper Maurice Burton noticed something in Roberts' 5-foot-10, 175-pound swiftly moving frame: the grace, speed and form of a runner.

"We were (in Benton Harbor) on call, checking out some kids who were messing around in a store," said Burton. "Our kids run when they see the police. I saw a kid running away, and I knew he should be running track."

Burton, who also coached at Benton Harbor High School at the time, later tracked down Roberts. He convinced the youth that he was a good runner, that he had a natural runner's ability and that he should come out for the Junior Varsity track team.

Ever since then, Roberts has been running for Burton rather than from him.

Recently, Roberts turned in back-to-back clockings of 10.4 seconds in the 100-meter dash, the fastest in the state all season. Roberts is also Benton Harbor's top long jumper and anchors its 400- and 800-relay units. As a sophomore, he anchored the school's state championship 400-relay team.

Burton said Roberts, a senior, who is in a special education program, once had problems with school attendance, but now--with his blossoming self-esteem due to running track--he attends classes every day. Burton adds that Roberts will soon graduate, and Western Michigan University has shown an interest in the sprinter for its track program for special education students.

"Sometimes God takes away something from a child but blesses him with other abilities," said Burton of Roberts. "God has blessed Quincy with speed and quickness.

"He (Roberts) wasn't exactly headed down the right road in life," Burton told The Herald-Palladium of St. Joseph. "But since he started running track he hasn't been in any trouble."