in the South Side of Chicago as trying. When his parents divorced, JoLinda was given custody of the two children. JoLinda struggled with drug addiction and often committed crimes, sending her to prison. At eight years old, Tragil tricked her brother into thinking they were going to the movies, only to take him to live with his father and stepmother. Wade visited his mother on occasion until his father moved the family to Robbins, Illinois, after which Wade would not see her for two years. Wade turned to basketball and football, avoiding the temptations of drugs and gangs. Wade credited Tragil as the person most responsible for pointing him in the right direction. Wade grew up idolizing Michael Jordan and modeled his game after him. On October 14, 2001, as Wade's basketball career blossomed, JoLinda vowed to turn her life around. She says that she has not used drugs since 2003. High school career Wade played basketball and football for Harold L. Richards High School in Oak Lawn. He immediately excelled as a wide receiver and also played as a backup quarterback, but success in basketball took longer. He grew four inches by the start of his junior year and emerged as the team leader, averaging 20.7 points and 7.6 rebounds. Wade's improvement continued into his senior year, when he averaged 27 points and 11 rebounds. He led the Bulldogs to a 24–5 record and to a Class AA Eisenhower Sectional appearance. Wade set school records for points scored (676) and steals made (106). He credited coach Jack Fitzgerald as a seminal and positive influence. Wade was recruited to play basketball only by Marquette, Illinois State, and DePaul, due to academic issues. College career Wade committed to Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to play under coach Tom Crean. In his freshman year, Wade was sidelined by NCAA Proposition 48, which set academic eligibility requirements for participation in Division I sports. Effort and tutoring sufficiently raised his academic standing so that he became eligible by the start of his sophomore year. 2001–02 season Wade led the Marquette Golden Eagles in scoring with 17.8 points (ppg) and led Conference USA in both steals per game with 2.47 and 2-point field goals made with 205; he averaged 6.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists. Marquette finished with a 26–7 record, their best since the 1993–94 season. 2002–03 season Wade again led the school in scoring