Colorado University Athletics
Alumni update: Hypolite Cherishes 'CU Experience'
March 22, 2016 | Football, Alumni C Club, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — When George Hypolite was in third grade, his teacher had each student in the class write a letter to themselves outlining what they wanted to be when they grew up.
Hypolite's mother kept the letter.
“I said I was going to be a father, a professional athlete and an attorney,” Hypolite recalled recently.
Hypolite has hit the trifecta.
After a standout career as a defensive lineman at Colorado, he signed as a free agent with the Jacksonville Jaguars, then spent time on the Carolina Panthers' roster in 2009.
In 2010, his son was born; and he also has a daughter who will celebrate her first birthday this summer.
Finally, in 2014, he earned his juris doctor degree from the University of San Diego School of Law and subsequently passed the bar exam in California and Colorado. He now serves as an assistant city attorney with the City and County of Denver at Denver International Airport.
One, two, three.
“Those were the three things that most impressed me when I was growing up,” said Hypolite. “I knew I wanted to be an athlete and I knew I wanted to be a good father.”
As for the attorney part of the equation, “I had probably decided long before third grade that I wanted to be an attorney. My grandmother and I used to watch “Matlock” all the time when I was child. I thought Matlock was the coolest person ever because he helped people and did it all in 45 minutes. He solved people's problems, people really liked him — and he got away with wearing the same clothes every day. When you're a little kid, you think that's pretty cool. You get to help people and wear the same clothes every day.”
Hypolite, a four-year letterman (2005-08), was one of the most popular Buffs of his era. A gregarious, engaging personality, he was a favorite of the media and fans. (He also earned a nickname that still makes him grin and wince at the same time. When CU alums Trey Parker and Eric Stough of “South Park” fame created the starting lineups for the Buffs-Nebraska game on ABC in 2007, Trey called Hypolite the “Rabid Goldfish,” a nickname that follows him to this day on his Wikipedia page.)
But Hypolite definitely left his mark on the field. He was named all-Big 12 as a junior, and finished in the top 10 in tackles for the Buffs his last three seasons. His best year may have been 2007, when he finished with 44 tackles, including 11 for losses (tied for the team high) and a team-best six quarterback sacks, an effort that helped the Buffs to an Independence Bowl appearance vs. Alabama.
While Hypolite has fond memories of his playing days, he also obviously cherishes the entire student-athlete experience at Colorado, one that paved his career path
“I had a ton of experienced at CU that helped me in many, many ways,” Hypolite said. “But the first experience that really influenced me was the people. The first African-American people I met in Boulder that had nothing to do with the University of Colorado Athletic department were two lawyers. One is a judge, Gary Jackson; the other is a personal injury attorney, (Harold) Sonny Flowers.”
That meeting, Hypolite said, opened his eyes and cemented his future.
“What it showed me was there are people just like me from the University of Colorado who are successful attorneys in the state of Colorado. I knew there was a way to do it. I was seeing evidence of people who were doing it — that kind of set the whole foundation.”
Hypolite also took full advantage of his class schedule.
“I began to interact with the academic staff, professors, other students,” Hypolite said “I saw the dream that I had since before third grade was real and possible, and there was a way to accomplish that goal. I saw evidence of two people who had done what I wanted to do. That experience was pivotal for me.”
Hypolite also believes his athletic background helped prepare him for life in the professional world. The discipline, work ethic and dedication required to succeed on the playing field, he said, transferred to the professional world.
But one of the most important lessons he learned at CU had nothing to do with football.
“One of the hardest classes I took was astronomy,” Hypolite said. “Some people see patterns in the sky; I saw a lot of lights. I remember going to my academic advisor and saying I need a tutor. The advisor said we could get a tutor — but first, she said there were other steps I needed to take. She told me to go meet with my professor first.”
Hypolite did just that. He received some guidance from the professor, picked up some help from a tutor and passed the class.
“It taught me that it's OK to ask for help,” Hypolite said. “College students are all the same. There's no bullet point that someone gives you that says it's OK to ask for help. You aren't the only person who is having the same struggles and questions — but nobody tells you that. CU did a great job in teaching me how to ask for help and how to ask in the right places, and that's carried over to my career. As a young attorney, that's 90 percent of my battle. I don't know everything, but I know where to turn for the answers.”
Anyone who knows Hypolite is not surprised that he chose law as a career. Always ready to engage in intellectual banter and debate — even with members of the media — Hypolite never dodged a good argument.
“My mom had the same reaction,” Hypolite said with a laugh. “Everyone thinks that because I was always intellectually stimulated and willing to argue, being an attorney was a perfect fit. But the longer you are practicing law, you realize being a lawyer doesn't mean you get to argue. When you actually get to argue an intellectual point, you are jumping for joy. Most of the time, you are trying to solve problems, put out fires — and anticipate fires.”
Hypolite is a civil attorney at DIA and seldom makes actual courtroom appearances. “Unfortunately, a big airport gets sued a lot,” Hypolite said. “But because it's civil, it's rare that I'm actually inside a courtroom. Most of what I do is filing papers with the court.”
Hypolite does have plenty of memories of his football career, including the Buffs' 27-24 win over then-No. 3 Oklahoma in 2007, and a sack/forced fumble he recorded against quarterback Matthew Stafford in Georgia.
“I remember getting up and my teammates hollering — and that's all you could hear,” he said. “The rest of the stadium was silent. A hundred thousand people and you could hear a pin drop.”
But Hypolite also says the memories of watching his fellow student-athletes perform are just as firmly etched in his mind.
“I remember watching Kevin Durant (then at Texas) play against CU,” Hypolite said. “Richard Roby scored something like 35 points and Durant had 37. Watching them go toe to toe was amazing. Watching Blake Griffin (Oklahoma) and Michael Beasley (Kansas State). Guys who are now NBA All-Stars, and we got to watch them before the whole world knew them.
“I saw Jenny Barringer (now Simpson) run. We came up in the same class. I got to watch her grow up as an athlete and now she's one of the best runners in the world. Those are the memories that I have and look back on and say, 'Wow. I had a pretty good time.'”
Hypolite also has some advice for current college students: meet people, establish connections and make the most of the entire student experience.
“The things I remember the most — the fun, the sorrow, all the experiences that have made me a better person — didn't happen on the football field, or even in the classroom. It happened with other students, with people I met in Boulder, experiences in the community.
“Take advantage of those opportunities. Take the time to shake people's hands, to say hello. The thing is, you never know who they are, what they may teach you and what you may take away from that experience — and it might just be that experience that changes your life.”
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
