By GABE ANGIERI
This story is the third in a series of features submitted by Penn State University Park students taking a sports journalism course.
Today, Christopher Killings plays basketball at Penn State Greater Allegheny. There was a time when that prospect seemed like a pipe dream – even with a professional athlete for a dad.
Killings is the son of WWE superstar R-Truth, and grew up with sports as a big part of his life. When he wasn't hanging out with the likes of Randy Orton, John Cena and The Undertaker, Killings was playing sports himself. And this is his story, not one about growing up with wrestlers.
After starting off with football as his main sport, Killings realized by the start of high school that basketball was going to be his go-to, as he was better at hoops.
He played basketball at Sun Valley High School in North Carolina and had early success doing so. However, there was an obstacle that prevented him from excelling the way a player with his skill is supposed to.
"Sophomore year I was supposed to play varsity, but truth be told, I had a really bad attitude," Killings said. "Coach didn't want me to play varsity. He wanted me to play varsity, but he didn't want to deal with my attitude."
Because of that, Killings bounced back and forth between the JV and varsity team his sophomore season and didn't become a full-time member of the varsity squad until his junior year.
Despite then being varsity full time, things quickly went downhill for Killings. He was kicked off the team due to his attitude and transferred to nearby Weddington High School.
"Getting kicked off the team my junior year hurt me a lot because I went (to Sun Valley) from ninth grade, 10th grade, and 11th grade and made all my friends there, all my memories there," Killings said.
The adjustment for Killings was tough, and he even ended up quitting basketball for his entire senior year. It was at this point where he came to the realization that if he wanted to play college ball, his attitude needed to change.
Specifically, a Division II coach told Killings' coach that he's "real good" but isn't worth the hassle.
"So, that kind of made me look in the mirror and be like, 'Dang, I can be this good. And he can say I'm good enough to play with his team. But, just because of my attitude, he won't take me,'" Killings said.
The next step in Killings' journey was Moravian Prep to play basketball post-high school graduation. Killings credits his father, as well as one of his coaches at Moravian Prep, for his turnaround. He said that he finally acknowledged the problem, looked at himself, and had plenty of "uncomfortable" conversations.
His time at Moravian Prep in 2020 gave Killings an opportunity to change the narrative surrounding him. Still, there was still little interest coming from collegiate programs, and the COVID-19 pandemic certainly didn't help.
But there was one coach who reached out to him and wanted Killings to play for his team. That was Penn State Greater Allegheny head coach Daryn Freedman.
"Coach Freedman sent me a DM on Twitter and basically told me he was interested," Killings said. "That was basically the only option I had at that point. So, I came (PSU GA) for a visit. Once I saw the weight room and the gym, I knew I was coming to Greater Allegheny."
In his first season with the team, he averaged 13.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game while shooting 44.5% from the field. He earned an honorable mention nod for the All-Conference teams, but he wants more heading into the 2022 season.
"I expect to win conference, expect to be the best team in the conference," Killings said. "I expect myself to be All-Conference. I expect a lot from this group."
