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Preps

Bull asks, 'Got spinach?'

Bloomingdale senior-turned-health nut Jean LeBrun is one of the county's leading scorers.

By EMILY NIPPS, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published January 31, 2003

TAMPA -- Bloomingdale swingman Jean Lebrun decided to be the sole caretaker of his team's destiny this season, and none of the obvious steps seemed like enough.

Growing an extra inch during the summer, driving toward the basket more, hitting the weight room ... all that stuff was nice, but he wanted something that set him apart.

He needed the green stuff.

Every morning, Lebrun rolls out of bed at 6 and pours himself a bowl of spinach, douses it with red wine vinaigrette dressing and eats it.

"It's nasty, I know," Lebrun said. "But I eat it because I know it's good for my body."

He also eats a bowl every night before going to bed. He used to drink three sodas a day, but only drinks water now. He hasn't had a soda since June.

Lebrun's friends call him "health freak," but he doesn't mind being different. If it helps him become a better player, he'll eat the bag the spinach comes in.

And no one can argue with the results. Lebrun (whose name is pronounced John Lebrawn) has been the surprise player of the season, emerging as one of the top scorers in the county. He averages 23 points per game and 8.1 rebounds, and is hoping to become a Division-I college prospect by the end of the season.

Not bad for someone whose original dream was to become a professional golfer. When LeBrun was 9, 10 and 11, he used to beat his father, Jean Sr., at 18 holes. He was even featured on a local TV news station when he played at Carrollwood Golf Club.

None of Lebrun's middle school friends were into golf, though, and his father eventually moved their interests to the basketball hoop in the backyard.

Lebrun seemed to have the body for basketball and was always a hard worker, his father said. But he never seemed ready or willing to reach his potential during his sophomore and junior seasons.

"Before this season, he told me, "This is my year,"' Jean LeBrun Sr. said. "He said, "I'm going to do whatever it takes."'

That meant working out during the summer, jogging at night in his neighborhood during the holidays and attending every practice, even if he was sick or injured.

Lebrun has received interest from Florida Southern and the University of Central Florida, and he recently sent a tape to South Florida. He's hoping his hard work pays off, as his father has always taught him.

For now, though, he's hoping to help Bloomingdale win its district and possibly make a playoff run. The Bulls are 10-5 overall, 6-2 in Class 6A, District 5.

"I take full responsibility for our losses," Lebrun said. "It's more or less my team, and I've watched us kind of evolve over the past two years. We lost in districts last year and I want to do what it takes to win this year."

Even if it means a mouthful of spinach every morning.

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