It isn’t known for great things, some would even call the things you see living in my community traumatic. However, I’ve always wanted more for my family, myself & the people in my community. I’m the oldest sibling so naturally that comes with great pride & responsibility. Though, it wasn’t easy that at the most important part of a boy’s developmental stage, my dad was in prison. That forced me to step up as the man of my household. I believe I lost part of my innocence as a child. Making sure my siblings ate, went to school, and things of that nature is a responsibility of a parent, not a child.

When I was on the football field however I felt free. Over the years I fell in love with the game from starting at just 4 years old. My Uncle Fatz & my Aunt Kim saw something in me. They saw the potential in me to be great and when I was 12 years old they welcomed me to live with them. For me to have a chance to make something of myself I needed to be in a different environment. This caused me to have to leave my siblings at home with my mother while I separated to work to build a better life for us. Family is the most important thing to me so it was hard especially since I had to take up the role of the man of the house. My mother & my siblings understood though & encouraged me to do what I had to, to be great. My Uncle Fatz had gotten me enrolled in Mount Saint Joseph High School. From there I became a 4.0 student-athlete.

I wanted to be in student government so I ran for class president my freshman year & won the election. I played multiple sports in high school. My dream school was the University of Oregon. I worked hard throughout the years and was able to obtain 25+ college offers including the University of Oregon. In 2020 I enrolled early in Oregon and went to work. My time at Oregon was a good learning experience but I can admit I didn’t get to perform the way I know I could. At the end of my second year in Oregon, I decided to get a fresh start and enter the transfer portal. For more reasons than one, I decided the University of Tennessee would be my new home. So far, I’d say I’m fitting in great with the team. Mentally I feel I’m where I need to be to excel and show everything I have to offer. My message is simple.

I want people from my city, particularly the youth, to rise above adversity and be great. I’m aware that with the life I’m working towards comes attention. People who look up to me will be inspired by me. There will also be people who get discouraged along their journey. Work hard, stay disciplined, build a tight circle of people you trust, and remember that pressure forms diamonds. Nothing worth having comes easy so give it 100%. A lot of people talk about making it out of this city. Instead of working to just leave it all behind we should strive to make our city what we want it to be.

I’ve started my plan for that by working with my team to build my brand Driven Throughout The Journey(DTTJ). I’ll be starting my annual youth camp this summer. I’d love for as many people to show up. This is step 1 in giving back to my city. Showing the kids they have a resource, and being a good example.