Black Blames Himself For Past: ‘I Was Just Being A Kid’

Washington State tailback Michael Black, it has been well-documented, is moving on with his once-troubled life, attempting to distance himself from an admittedly crime-filled past.

The extent of Black’s criminal record was not publicly known, however, until a recent report in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

According to the newspaper, Black served 20 months in a California juvenile center after being given a three-year sentence for his role in a 1991 armed robbery. That followed a six-month stay in another juvenile center for several offenses, including auto theft.

“I was running the street,” Black was quoted as saying. “When you’re at that age (17) and been in the streets and done some things, all you think about is making some money.

“At that time, I didn’t think of it as being bad until I went to jail.

“I blame myself. I made my decisions, even though I was easily influenced.

“I didn’t have any money. I was just being a kid, trying to get new shoes, trying to be slick, and I got caught.”

Black has since declined comment on the subject.

“I don’t have no comments on that,” he said this week. “Why should I?”

, DataTimes