- 2014 Highlights #2
Personal Statement
I am a 5’10” and 180 pound strong safety, RB and OLB and I expect to be 190 pounds by the start of my senior year. I am a game changer on and off the field as my coaches and peers continually call on me for leadership. I have a 3.4 GPA and expect to be fluent in Spanish by senior year. In the few short years that I’ve been alive, I have been fortunate enough to learn one principle of living that I have been able to apply successfully to some of the most important challenges that have come my way.
Probably the most important thing I’ve learned is that football resembles the box of chocolates that Forest Gump’s mother told him is a lot like life in that you never know what you’re going to get…and because of that you have to be prepared for it by appreciating what God has given you, and practicing to get ready for what you love and what might come your way. I love that about football and about life. I think about that principle a lot and it has helped me understand many things. For example, I think it is so exciting that there is never a dull moment for either football or life. That alone is reason for playing football and being excited to get up in the morning for whatever challenge life is going to present me with next.
But there is more. It also means that I must be able to handle and be prepared for whatever might come along or actually does come my way in football and in life. For example, in football I know how important training is to be becoming better at how I play the game. I know, for example, that all the many endless hours of practice, studying film and individual training I participated in, in every spare moment during most days, weekends, and nights have enabled me to react well to the ball because I can see plays develop before most athletes. This has helped me as a strong safety, and outside linebacker to make plays that include tackling, intercepting and other good things on the field. This also works in reverse when I am called upon by my coaches to be a running back and I always seem to anticipate my next move to avoid being tackled. My teammates ask me about my success, and I just tell them there no secret. There is just practice, God given talent and a desire to win.
Life has also been that way. I’ve had to practice hard to overcome not having a father in my house and getting over not having my mother in my life for a period of time. I moved from CA to GA when I was five to live with my aunt and uncle out of state, who in six years pushed me to be the best person and athlete I could be by not letting me get by with excuses but filled my time with chores, homework, athletic practice and everything else. This experience was so important for me in building my character because when I was reunited with my mother, I learned to appreciate how much my she loved me and how hard she worked and sacrificed to help me. As I look back on my short life I am very thankful for what I was able to construct with the help of my aunt, uncle and my mom who taught me to make the best of the life I have by appreciating what comes my way, being humble, working hard and practicing to prepare for whatever may come, and anticipating what lies ahead. I love my life, my football, and all the people who have taught me and I am eager to learn more and am excited about the possibilities to play at the next level.
