JaBrail Lang '15 Recruiting Profile

I am one of a kind. I believe that I am one of a kind because I think I come from a different breed. I am young and still in high school. I am from the city where people despise you because you are doing better than them. However, they do not seem to despise you if you are struggling. I love my city, but it is not the same any more. If I was the type of guy I was three years ago, I think I would be in jail or dead. But I changed my life around thanks to my Dad and Mom. ?When my father resided in Florida, my mom suggested that I move to Florida to start a new life, and build a better relationship with my father. I really did not want to go because I did not want to leave Detroit. My Mom shipped me off to Jacksonville, Florida where my father lived. While I was in Florida, I learned a lot of things from my father. He taught me to be a better man than he was. I took things he told me to heart and never forgot some of the lessons he taught me. While in Florida, in order to stay out of trouble, I started to play football. While I was playing football, I realized that this “football thing” could take me somewhere in life. I was a starter at the defensive end position. My number was 65. I will never forget that year of playing football and being a student-athlete. I was also able to improve my grades which very important. ?During the time I was living with my father, he started to get really sick. One day he went to the doctor and they told him that he had lung cancer. He started to get treated for the cancer, but it got worse. He could not go to work anymore and he barely could do things that he used to do. I started to stress out because I knew that I was going to lose my father. I kept praying and praying to God for my father to get better, but it was like he was getting worse by the day. My grandma, my father’s mother came from West Palm Beach to support and take care of him. He ended up receiving hospice care. He had to move with his mom back to West Palm Beach. Soon after that, I had to move back to Detroit with my mom to finish school. On October 16, 2013 my father passed away. I was in school when I received the call from my sister saying, "Brail, dad passed away this morning.” I went into shock and could not operate any longer. Ever since he passed away, I have not been the same. Going to the funeral was a very challenging experience for me. When I got there, I was still thinking about how I had just talked to him the other day. I have been messed up in the head lately. As of right now, I have been trying to get my life together and continue to stay on track. I have a supportive family that stays by my side. Sometimes I wish I could call my dad and tell him how my life is going. So now that I am a senior and part of the class of 2015, I have some many goals set for myself for the future. After I graduate high school, I would like to go attend a historically Black college or university. I will have something to be proud of and one day tell me my kids that I accomplished something in life. I would like to one day be a physical therapist for a professional team and would like to earn at least a million dollars before I turn 35. These are a few of my long-term goals. And after everything I have been through, I know that I can accomplish anything.