By Jonathan Williams
The Review
Phillip Ocon has spent most of his childhood playing sports.
Football, basketball, baseball — you name it.
Now, standing at 6-foot-4 and nearly 300 pounds, Ocon has seen all the athletics come to fruition.
A four-year varsity starting lineman for the St. Francis High School football team and a two-time all-CIF recipient, the South Pasadena resident has excelled on and off the field, ultimately landing him a scholarship to Colorado State University.
But his journey wasn’t always easy. Ocon was bigger than most of his peers, and due to his size, he couldn’t always play with the kids in his grade.
His parents would struggle to find clothes that would fit him, and his father would often have to flash his son’s birth certificate to show proof of age.
No matter the situation, Ocon tried to see the bright side of things.
“There’s nothing guaranteed in life,” Ocon said. “Take pride in what you’re doing … I want to do that to the best of my ability. I want to be as perfect as I can be in what I do.”
Ocon grew up in South Pasadena, attending Holy Family Catholic School. His father encouraged him to play years of flag football before his high school journey began as a freshman at St. Francis.
Dean Herrington, head coach of St. Francis football, took notice of his freshman lineman’s talent when he joined the team.
“It was hard for me to believe he was only a freshman,” Herrington said. “He’s one of the best players I’ve ever coached.”
Ocon became the heart of the St. Francis offensive and defensive line in his senior year, and that paved the way to countless accolades following the 2023 season.
Ocon was named Angelus League MVP, earned all-CIF honors among a pool of Division III players in the Southern Section, and was selected as a member of the Los Angeles Times’ 24-player All-Star high school football team. He also helped the Golden Knights secure back-to-back Angelus League titles, and guided St. Francis to two straight CIF championship games.
“His whole life, he was told to go easy,” Krista Ocon said. “Now for him to be in a moment where all these things made him stand out in difficult ways from his point of view really gave him an advantage. … He will protect people.”
Ocon is a three-star recruit and received offers from several NCAA Division I schools like Air Force, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and San Jose State, his dad’s alma mater.
In the end, football was always the constant, and his efforts ultimately led to a scholarship to Colorado State University. He credits football as the engine leading him into the next chapter of his life, playing college football just like his father.
Phillip Ocon did not stop growing in high school. At one point, he weighed nearly 355 pounds, something his father insisted he’d have to adjust if he wanted to play college football. One day, St. Francis varsity assistant coach Bill Stewart made a suggestion that would change Phillip Ocon’s life: jiujitsu.
A black belt himself, Stewart suggested Phillip Ocon attend Eagle Rock Jiujitsu. Now, he trains there regularly, dropping to less than 300 pounds, and preparing for the Los Angeles International Open IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship in March.
The international tournament will culminate a journey that’s changed his life, both body and mind. He also credits the combat sports practice to the success he had on the football field this year.
“It’s a huge part of my life,” Phillip Ocon said. “You’re with a bunch of people wearing gis and you have the same goal of getting better. Everyone in the gym has the desire to learn.”
Phillip Ocon said with college on the horizon, he will miss spending time with his parents and rolling on the mats of his gym. Undoubtedly, there’s bittersweet excitement brewing, admitting he’ll miss the community that raised him because, come fall, the former Golden Knights captain will be well on his way playing under Colorado State head coach Jay Norvell.
“There’s a lot of great people I have around here,” Phillip Ocon said. “You can bring material things, but it’s the hardest to say to the people, ‘Hey, I have to go away for a while.’
“I’ll miss my gym. I’m going to miss the people. I’m going to miss the village that I have around here.”
First published in the February 23 print issue of the South Pasadena Review.
