BRANDON — Those who know Sredrick Powe in the basketball community call him quiet and mild-mannered, someone known for spending time with his 1-year-old son, not the kind of guy to be involved in an early morning fight outside a bar.
But the 27-year-old former basketball standout at Brandon High School, who has spent the past several summers playing in a semiprofessional league in Tampa, remains in a hospital recovering from critical injuries suffered in an altercation outside the Brandon Green Iguana on Dec. 18.
Officials and players from the Bay Pro-Am City League Association were shocked to hear that Powe was involved in the fight, which happened around 3 a.m.
"It's just really unfortunate because he's a quiet type kid," said William Crawford, a friend of Powe's and a league administrator. "He's not real vocal or aggressive. He's not a jerk, so it's really kind of puzzling how he could get caught up into something like that."
Deputies arrested Pedro Peguero II, 20, on Dec. 19 and charged him with aggravated battery with great bodily harm. Peguero, who is a City Squad gang member, hit Powe in the face and then stomped on his chest, said Sheriff's Office spokesman J.D. Callaway. It's unclear what triggered the fight, but Callaway said Powe was a victim and won't be charged.
Powe was unresponsive when deputies arrived at the Green Iguana parking lot, 6264 Winthrop Town Centre Ave.
His childhood friend and Indiana Pacers forward Stephen Graham is still trying to fathom the situation.
"I was shocked and awed just to hear that somebody would even do that," said Graham, who along with his twin brother and Toronto Raptor Joey Graham, played with Powe at Brandon. "He was in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Haywoode Workman, the Bay Pro-Am president and an NBA referee, said Powe isn't someone he would expect to be involved in a violent confrontation. Workman, who has officiated games in which Powe played, said Powe "didn't say too much when he came to the gym."
"It is surprising because this guy is really reserved," Workman said. "I've never seen him, playing in a game, even yell at anybody."
Powe had NBA potential when he attended Tallahassee Community College, Stephen Graham said, but a stroke suffered at TCC in 2001 was a setback for the former All-Hillsborough center. Powe rebounded and landed at then-Division I Birmingham-Southern College in Alabama, where he played until 2006.
He never reached the professional level, but by playing with Stephen and Joey Graham in the pro-am league the past few years, Powe still had a chance to land a contract in Europe or possibly in the United States.
"His goal was just like ours," said Stephen Graham, who last spoke to Powe about a week before the incident. "He always wanted to play pro ball."
Workman said Powe has the potential to play overseas and was expected to return to the league in 2009. Crawford said he thinks some teams in the Continental Basketball Association, a New York-based professional league, were interested in Powe.
"Last time we played with him, he played the exact same way he did growing up," Stephen Graham said of Powe, a post position player in the summer league. "He was still at the top of his game."
Powe is known around the league for bringing his 1-year-old son to his games, which are played from June through August at various local gymnasiums.
"Him and his son have a really good relationship," Stephen Graham said. "We've had a chance to be around him and his son quite a bit. He's a great father. He shows the world to his little son."
Times researcher Shirl Kennedy contributed to this report. Kevin Smetana can be reached at ksmetana@sptimes.com or (813) 661-2439.
News
