The football stadium at his old high school lies pretty much empty in the gray drizzle of a Monday morning. A couple of runners slowly circle the track, then give up and leave.
Bundled in a sweatshirt and knit cap, Mique Juarez climbs into the bleachers and leans against a cold metal railing.
“Oh man,” he says. “I miss this place.”
The game was fun — still just a game — when Juarez played linebacker at North Torrance High. He loved nothing more than to pull on a helmet and hit someone. Football ran deep in his blood.