Being a member of the South football program has affected my life in several ways. It has not only taught me the game of football, but also valuable life lessons. It was not always an easy journey but it was incredibly rewarding in the end.
Going into double sessions of my freshmen year, I was really excited. I came home exhausted every day. I played on both sides of the ball and had a very productive season. In my sophomore year, I was selected to be on the varsity team. Coach Scarpelli gave me the opportunity to practice with the varsity squad, suit up for varsity games, and play in the weekly JV games.
In the spring of my junior year, I went on a strength training program—my dad hired a personal trainer, bought a weight set, and put me on a protein shake diet. During summer football camp, I was playing both ways—offensive guard, and defensive end—and receiving accolades from my coaches. At the beginning of
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For me, the season was over before it began. I had failed my coach, my parents, and myself. I saw little playing time during my junior season and my frustration grew. I wanted to quit but I realized that would not help anything. I made a decision. The football season was over, but school was not, and I needed to change my attitude and get back on track. I re-focused my energies and concentrated on my academics, which had suffered during my frustrating season. My grades improved dramatically during the second semester, and I knew, with renewed effort and commitment, I could carry that same success into my last football season. I trained even harder this past spring. When double sessions began in August, I played as if I were the last man on the roster. I was more focused and came to practice ready to listen and to execute the exact technique demanded. I ran faster, hit harder, and worked out longer than any of the other players on the team. The coach
Even though I thought that it would never be possible judging by the place I had been in 8 months before, I earned a spot starting at cornerback. Though I had the starting spot for the first game, I kept the same mentality that Peterson had taught me unknowingly, to work as hard as you could every single day. After the first game had ended, I felt very confident that I had kept my starting spot. As the games went on, and the season grew deeper into the year, I kept striving to become a better player. Peterson is notorious for shutting down the opposing teams best player, and when week nine and ten came, I took on those duties. I knew that the two kids that I would have to face were bigger and stronger than me, but I knew that size and strength didn’t matter as long as you had confidence in yourself and the teammates around you. I won some and lost some of the many battles fought throughout the entire year. Although I didn’t give up a single touchdown the entire year, our team still lost two games, one ending our season in the first round of playoffs. Throughout the entire season I kept working hard as I possibly could, and in turn, I turned myself into a good football player thanks to
As a Freshman I played JV and Varsity football, because my whole dad side of the family played and continue to plays college football at schools such as NC State, Clemson, Fayetteville State, A&T, and more I was raised up to do the same. The beginning of my high school days was when I started to settle down a lot because of constant practice and more school work. Into my sophomore year I began getting more involved with school and taking part of activities such as serious hunting, lifting weights, and getting more involved in church. My junior year I gave up on football because I wanted a change and plus if I did not I was going to move to a different school that was known for football, my reasoning for not wanting that was because I did not feel like football was my life and I did not want to make that jump all for a
Later we had our first football game and I was excited for my last first game in high school, I never would have known that it potentially could have been my last game played. Within the first quarter I had broken my foot completely and because of my adrenaline I shrugged it off as a minor injury and played the rest of the game. After to what seemed like I was fine I stood up and collapsed as soon as I did so. This was the first injury that I had ever sustained and I was still in denial thinking I had just sprained a muscle. After being told that I wouldn’t be able to play for the rest of the season I was heartbroken, along with this the college that I had hoped to attend the most being West GA dropped me as a recruit. Two games passed and I was feeling helpless for myself, I couldn’t drive, I couldn’t do anything without the help of others, I had crutches but being a 320 lb. man it was very difficult getting around. As Nancy Mairs said: “I’ve been limping along for ten years now” I was off of my feet for 2 weeks and to me it felt like an eternity. This was when I decided to let college aside and all I wanted to do was finish my senior season strong, my mother allowed me to get my cast taken off and have me put into a boot. For the remaining games I roughed it out and played with a broken foot. Even with
My knee injury took a big toll on my preseason of my sophomore year going threw physical therapy instead of playing in the games . Baseball is a hobby of mine ,never played threw high school, but have always had love for
Freshman year of football almost drove me to quit football. The coaches drove us harder and made us work our tails off. That year taught me to work even harder than before. My sophomore year was even more taxing than the year before, trying to show the coaches that I belong and that I will try to beat the upperclassmen in anything that I could. Junior year I didn’t get to play varsity and that drove me to work even harder to get a starting spot for my senior year. By the time I got to my junior year, I finally got out of my comfort zone and I wouldn’t just take a hit, I would deliver one. And when senior year rolled around I finally got a starting spot on the varsity offense. I finished my senior season with one catch for thirty eight yards. High school football taught me to trust people; coaches, teammates, and friends. Without them none of it would have happened.
I loved everything about the sport, knew everything about the sport, and simply wanted to be physically involved with the sport. I signed up for my local football organization and greatly anticipated the start of the season. My first season our team finished undefeated, winning each game with ease. I played offensive line and enjoyed every play, finally being a part of the sport I loved. My coach at the time admired my hard work and dedication, repeatedly telling my fellow teammates that we should all aspire to have a work ethic such as my own. At the end of the season, my coach suggested I practice to become a quarterback. A quarterback is usually one of the skinniest players on the team, a trait I certainly didn't have. If I were to be a quarterback, I would have to lose at least thirty pounds and practice almost every day until the next season. As crazy as the suggestion seemed to me at the time, I gladly accepted the challenge and almost instantly began to work to become the best quarterback I could
My 8th grade year around the month of February people were starting to recognize spring football was right around the corner. I was a middle school stud says most coaches I played bandit and sometimes safety full time. Tine seemed to fly faster and faster day by day the team was coming ! Spring had finally come and walking on the I was a pretty favorable upcoming freshman by coaches and players. The first couple of practices were great I never known so much went into high school football but I eventually found out. My knee was hurting a lot my 7th grade year because of ball that
I worked very hard every day at practice to show why they needed me on the field. I was so excited when I got to play in my first high school tournament. I had to be a pinch runner for the pitcher and I scored the first point in the game. At the end of the season that yearev, they finally realized we were losing all of our games because of this one girl, so they took her out and put me in and moved everyone’s positions around.
Sadly, my family was going through financial struggles, forcing me out of the school zone I was destined to attend. When I discussed the situation wih the high school coaches they told me they would pick me up from my new house and take me to school every day; with the condition that I’d play football for them all throughout high school. Even though this was illegal I continued to go ahead and accept the offer. My first year of high school was so exciting that it went by in the blink of an eye. Sophomore year came and the clock ticked closer and closer to when everything would change. I started in varsity as a corner back but soon would have big shoes to fill as the team’s quarterback. Not only did this require skill and hard work but the ability and qualities of a leader as well. Ultimately, playing this position helped me acquire traits that would soon be necessary for success. That year was tough for us because the majority of the team consisted of inexperienced players, however the coaches knew I would be the one to lead the
During the past summer I went to a camp on Oahu called, G.P.A. 2016 Football Showcase. It was a first time at the position I chose, cornerback. The showcase was three days long, as the weekend went on I began shining in a certain coach's eye. He then put me inside the Top 12 of the camp in that position. I already had my goals for football and those goals were starters; to get my name in the newspaper, make my senior year memorable, and
Through constant effort, practice and studying I was able to become the second team right tackle sophomore year and through more effort I am now starting at right tackle on the varsity team. I am a living example of the cliché “hard work pays off”. Football is not easy; it pushes people to a higher standard, which cannot be achieved in any other way.
I made JV, was a starter and did get the opportunity to play up on varsity a few times as a freshman. As a JV player I was known for my hard work on the field. Some criticize me for my ruthless determination during practice pushing my teammates to be faster and better. Several times Coach Cantello invited me to the varsity practice commending me for my hard work and calling it out to the others as something they should aspire to. Our teams hard work during practice was evident on the JV field with our winning achievements with coaches and players acknowledging it was a special season.
In the PWCFL my position changed, I gained some weight and size so I moved to fullback and middle linebacker. My number changed also to 44, after John Riggens former running back for my favorite team the W...
By me playing my heart out I ended up playing the entire game both on defense and offense. After our first game, I remember listening to one of my coaches tell us we need to identify ourselves to one of the three types of players. The first type being those who work hard enough to make it happen.
Then came the senior year. The season came around and my coach, Coach Fletcher, had big expectations for me. I suffered through soccer conditioning and lost a few pounds from it. But I’m getting ahead of myself. the spring season before school ball was my biggest nightmare.