Name: DEMETRIUS "Boo Boo" ANDRADE
Height: 6-1
Weight: 152 lbs
Born: February 16, 1988 in Providence, R.I
Lives: Providence, R.I
Coach: Paul Andrade
School: Cooley High School
Began boxing: 1994
Career Highlight: The 2005 U.S. Championships, Silver Gloves, Dual Meets and Junior Olympic International Invitational
Biggest Influence: My dad because he taught me everything I know in my lifetime
Draw to boxing: My dad
Greatest strength in the ring: My jab
Goals in and out of the ring: To be the greatest boxer I can and give back to my fans
Favorite movie: Four Brothers
Favorite TV Show: BET
Favorite Song: Nas Ether
Hobbies outside of boxing: Playing football
2007 PAN AMERICAN GAMES TEAM MEMBER
2007 NATIONAL GOLDEN GLOVES CHAMPION
2006 NATIONAL CHAMPION
2006 NATIONAL GOLDEN GLOVES CHAMPION
2005 NATIONAL CHAMPION
2007
U.S.Championships: dec. Dominique Dolton, Detroit, Mich., 27-13, in quarterfinals; lost on medical disqualification to Mahlon Kerwick, Ft. Carson, Colo., in semifinals
National Golden Gloves: dec. Miguel Beltran, 5-0, in first round; dec. Jesse Lubash, 5-0, in quarterfinals; dec. Javonn Barnes, 5-0, in semifinals; dec. Charles Hatley, 4-1, in finals for 1st
Pan Am Box-offs: dec. Keith Thurman, 11-7, in semifinals; dec. Peter Haro, 32-11, in finals for 1st.
Pan Am Qualifier 1: dec Norberto Gonzalez, Mexico, 23-3, in quarterfinals; dec. Jaime Cortes, Ecuador, 12-5, in semifinals
2006
National Golden Gloves: dec. Delvaughn Williams, 4-1, in second round; dec. Anthony Martinez, 5-0, in quarterfinals; dec. Greg Carter, 5-0, in semifinals; dec. Fernando Guerrero, 5-0, in the finals for 1st.
U.S. Championships: dec. Lucas Galle, 20-4, in first round; dec. Charles Hatley, 20-11, in quarterfinals; dec. Peter Haro, 20-5, in semifinals; dec. Boyd Melson, 22-10, in finals for 1st.
2005
World Cup: lost on points to Vitaliy Grushak, BLR, 27-18; lost on points to Andrey Balanov, RUS, 35-17
USA vs. Hungary Dual: dec. Szili Istvan, HUN, 2-1; dec. Kovacs Jozsef, HUN, 3-0
U.S. Championships: dec. Jason Montgomery, 16-10, in preliminaries; dec. Cecric Armstrong, 27-7, in quarterfinals; dec. Austin Trout, 18-10, in semifinals; dec. Daniel Jacobs, 18-12, in finals for 1st
DEMETRIUS
If he was not winning national titles as a boxer, Demetrius Andrade would be scoring touchdowns on the football field. Andrade made the decision to stop playing football at the end of eighth grade, not wanting to injure himself. Besides, he was not trying to be a football player, he just enjoyed the spotlight.
Andrade's father put him in the ring when he was six-years-old. Through boxing, Andrade learned more than just a sport. He learned about life.
"It kept me out of trouble and disciplined me," he said.
Andrade has enjoyed the boxing spotlight. He was the 2006 and 2007 National Golden Gloves Champion and is a two-time U.S. Championships gold medalist, winning in 2005 and 2006.
While his favorite part of boxing is winning, Andrade also likes the sport in its entirety.
"I like everything about boxing - the adrenaline rush," he said. "You always feel a rush when you're about to do something you love. It's just a fun moment."
But Andrade has not made it this far by simply loving the sport. He has trained long and hard to get where he is today.
"I get up in the morning and I go running," he said. "I try to get in the gym at least three times when there's a competition coming up. I do bag work, pads, jump rope and work on certain techniques, learn some new moves."
"My greatest strength is my jab, my speed and my footwork," Andrade said. "My trainer puts me through certain workouts that use techniques to better myself."
As far as his diet is concerned, Andrade has had to make a few adjustments.
"I do [eat] what I want but as I grow older, I'm learning that a diet will help and is much better," he said.
Andrade may give credit to his trainers for his development as a boxer, but he also gives credit to his family for his proper upbringing.
"They [my family] kept me out of trouble and taught me everything I know in life," he said.
"When I get that [gold medal], I would like to give back to the community," he said. "I want to try to open up a better gym for the neighborhood."
Andrade is already doing as much as he can for the young kids who train at his gym.
"A lot of kids in the gym will come to me," he said. "I just try to keep a positive vibe around them and try and look good so they can have the same image and believe in themselves."
He is not one to shy away from giving advice.
"I give some tips to the kids that want to listen," Andrade said. "I tell them some things, they ask me some questions like 'what is this,' 'how do you do that,' and I let them know."
There is no doubt Andrade found his spotlight.
