9 7 8 ▁he ▁was ▁being ▁treated ▁on ▁an ▁out pat ient ▁basis ▁with ▁St el azine ▁and ▁C og entin ▁and ▁was ▁considered ▁by ▁his ▁phys icians ▁to ▁be ▁" one ▁of ▁our ▁ster ling ▁success ▁cases ." ▁ ▁Math ias ▁supp lement ed ▁his ▁Army ▁dis ability ▁pay ▁by ▁working ▁in ▁his ▁step father ' s ▁garden ing ▁business . ▁Off ▁the ▁job , ▁outside ▁of ▁his ▁family , ▁he ▁was ▁close ▁friends ▁with ▁four ▁other ▁men , ▁most ▁slightly ▁older ▁than ▁he , ▁who ▁either ▁had ▁slight ▁intellectual ▁dis abilities ▁( S ter ling ▁and ▁Hu ett ) ▁or ▁were ▁inform ally ▁considered ▁" slow ▁learn ers " ▁( We i her ▁and ▁Mad ru ga ) ▁and ▁who ▁lived ▁either ▁in ▁Y uba ▁City ▁or ▁nearby ▁Mary sv ille . ▁Like ▁him ▁they ▁lived ▁with ▁their ▁parents , ▁all ▁of ▁whom ▁referred ▁to ▁them ▁collect ively ▁as ▁" the ▁boys ". ▁ ▁The ▁five ▁men ' s ▁favorite ▁le is ure ▁activity ▁was ▁sports . ▁Their ▁families ▁said ▁that ▁when ▁they ▁got ▁together , ▁it ▁was ▁usually ▁to ▁play ▁a ▁game ▁or ▁to ▁watch ▁one . ▁They ▁played ▁basketball ▁together ▁as ▁the ▁Gate way ▁G ators , ▁a ▁team ▁spons ored ▁by ▁a ▁local ▁program ▁for ▁the ▁ment ally ▁hand ic apped . ▁ ▁On ▁February ▁ 2 5 , ▁the ▁G ators ▁were ▁due ▁to ▁play ▁their ▁first ▁game ▁in ▁a ▁week long ▁tournament ▁spons ored ▁by ▁the ▁Special ▁Olympics ▁for ▁which ▁the ▁w inners ▁would ▁get ▁a