More Than Just A Month

Black Heritage Month is a time for me as a person to remember the sacrifices and challenges that have been made by my people, African-Americans. When I first think of sacrifices and challenges, I think of my great aunt who raised me and built me into the man that I am today. She has shown me the way while being my source of support through all of my highs and lows, for that I’m eternally grateful.

During this time we also get a chance to look at how far we have come as a community. This is not just for us as African-Americans, but as a whole to show that we are way more alike than we are different and we are continuing to learn, celebrate and support others, and that is something that holds a lot of weight. 

While we have come a long way, there is still much to be done. Growing up, while balancing the pressure to succeed on the field and in the classroom to be able to take the next step in my career, I was consistently surrounded by racism. The use of derogatory words was a normal and it left me in situations where I knew that change needed to be made. My coaches were very aware and they coached us on making sure that we didn’t let those comments get under our skin, but it wore on us as a constant challenge on the road, especially from “supportive” student sections using racist words and behavior in our direction.

Even with all of those pressures, being viewed as “just an athlete” who only cares about sports and not academics has constantly weighed on me. Being successful in school is a priority for me and I have always been prideful on my work. Showing people that the same hard work and dedication we put in on the field translates to the classroom is something I want everyone to be aware of. People may not know this about me, but I want to pursue a master’s degree. Staying in school and getting another degree is going to help me further my career, while also setting me up to be successful financially and, from there, allowing me the opportunity to give back to the community. Ultimately, I want to be a coach so that I can help kids navigate through their own challenges and accomplishments in their sports careers.

All of this comes from a big milestone moment in my life that brought a lot of perspective on everything – the death of my brother. His passing continues to motivate me to push his story and also raise awareness of knowing your surroundings in all situations. My family went to every single game and having their support will always be a key point in my athletic career. The passing was a big turning point in my life, as it also made the truth sometimes a hard concept of life to accept and then also live by. I found my truth through missing him and wanting to be a better man, football player, and person for myself, my family, my team and my teammates.  

I continued to carry this with me as I made the transition to college. Arriving at USF, I found a wealth of resources that have helped me in a large way dealing with these pressures. Mentally, I have found peace and comfort through working with Dr. Lee. He has been someone I can talk to about many things and has always given me support in areas that I was not aware of needing help in. Along with Dr. Lee, my teammates and coaches have supported me on and off the field in ways that I can never repay them. My teammates have been there for me through the highs and the lows. I distinctly remember them being there for me when I got my first interception against FAMU last season. That was an awesome moment, and having Coach Golesh and his staff here has been a tremendous amount of support here at USF. They pushed our program to new heights and that was awesome to be a part of and continue to contribute to!

As someone who is approaching their final years of their athletic career, I hope that change can be found in accepting others despite their varied cultures, religions, and differences. I hope that we can recall Black Heritage Month as a time to highlight African American successes, but it should continue past that. There are other months that are dedicated to other ethnicities, but it does not end because the special day is not in the month. It should be celebrated all the time, every day, and just hold more importance during their designated months.

I hope that by sharing my story I am able to help push the idea that working hard and going up against the odds is worth it. I also want to make sure that the youth believe in themselves and know that your mentality will get you where you want to be, no matter what other people say. We are more than athletes, and we have to make sure that we are celebrated inside and out for all the things we accomplish from childhood to young adulthood. 

To the next generation, step out of your comfort zone. Always remember that it is okay to spend time with people who are not like you so that you can learn from others’ experiences, cultures, and their backgrounds. You never know what you can learn when you interact with different people and, more importantly, you will see that we are all a lot more alike than we are different.