Elijah Contreras '19 Recruiting Profile

I first started playing the sport of football when I was 5 in pop warner. As I was growing up, my friends were always better, faster, stronger and I looked up to them. I knew that if I wanted to become better, not only as a football player but as a person, I would have to pursue my passion and love for the game on and off the field. I would have to challenge my self everyday to get to where I wanted to be. In 2007, I hit a brick wall. I was 7 years old, playing with kids who were 8 to 9 years old. I was challenged for the very first time, I got a hernia. I struggled because I was not able to play the sport for a year. My 8th-grade year, my grandma passed away. She was not an ordinary grandma, she was the vice president of pop warner. She inspired me to become even better than what I ever was before, she sparked a desire to become the best that I can be. 

When I think of football, I think of what football has done for me. Not only has it taught me a lot about myself but it taught me a lot about life. It taught me about discipline, determination, and becoming a leader. 

Thank you.