Orange Arrow Players Association

An open letter from our Founder and President, Shawn Robinson

June 22, 2020

Supporters and Funding Community:

We have a diversity and inclusion problem in America that contributes to, and perpetuates, systematic racial injustice. I founded the nonprofit Orange Arrow Players Association (OA) in 2013, and in 2015 began to address this problem by: 

Intentionally weaving diversity and inclusion into our organization’s fabric, as demonstrated by our diversity in color, gender, geography, perspective, economic status and age at every level of our organization, which includes our board, staff, volunteers and youth that the organization serves; and, 

Designing a program experience that prepares student-athletes to become leaders and contributors in their communities, and purposefully creating safe spaces for the authentic opportunity to build cross-cultural relationships and break down barriers between races.

However, often leaders in the funding community choose to give their financial contributions to organizations that solely support “underserved” — code-word for poor and black — people. This is necessary; however, it is imperative that organizations like Orange Arrow are included in funding strategies so that diversity and inclusion efforts are viable.

Of particular note, as a black man leading a diverse non-profit: 

I was told by a black-led foundation that if we became too diverse, they could no longer support us. 

I was told by a white-led foundation that they could not support us because we didn’t primarily serve underserved youth. 

The grant requirements for most foundations ask for non-profits to prove they are serving “at-risk” or “underserved” youth. 

The language corporations have used in the recent announcements of millions of dollars of funding outlines that the funding is for “the Black community” or “the underserved.” 

Who and what do these leaders picture when they envision efforts to address systemic racism? Who do they view as the recipients of these grants? 

From my experience, they either see black-led organizations solely helping black children or white-led organizations solely helping black children (e.g., Save the Whales). Where are the leaders who are intentionally supporting building cross-cultural relationships and not just viewing underserved communities as the problem? I am absolutely not saying that organizations who focus on working with black children are an issue; rather, this is a call to action that a multi-faceted approach is necessary to solve the huge issues of racial disparities and injustice. 

We at Orange Arrow purposefully bring together “under-served” and “regularly-served” and “over-served” youth and adults so that the barriers between those groups are broken, real relationships are formed, and real change occurs. When these OA-involved power brokers learn and live diversity and inclusion, they lead significant change in their families, schools, communities and our world. 

If corporations and foundations continue to solely invest in programs that inadvertently keep us segregated and overlook organizations that have a track record of breaking down these barriers, we will not solve our diversity and inclusion problem in America. 

How are we going to have significant change if funding only goes towards the continuation of segregation?

That can no longer be the only approach. 

With Love,  

Shawn Robinson

Founder & President of Orange Arrow Players Association 

“When a sport becomes your job, it changes your relationship with it.”

Desmond Palmer is a former student-athlete who ran hurdles at the University of Pittsburgh. He grew up in Pickerington, Ohio, which is about twenty minutes away from Columbus. He first showed up for track and field practice in eighth grade and was one of the tallest kids, so his coaches recruited him for hurdling. He caught on quickly and was a district finalist in the 300 meter hurdles the very next year for Pickerington North High School.

Desmond continued to be successful through high school, becoming a three-year national USA Track & Field Junior Olympic Champion. As a sophomore, he was the Ohio Capital Conference (OCC) champion in the 300 meter hurdles, and he was the regional champion and state runner-up in the 300 meter hurdles and district champion in the 110 meter hurdles as a junior. During his senior year, Desmond was the OCC district, regional, and state champion, winning four gold medals at the Ohio State Championships in the 110 and 300 meter hurdles, and the 4x2 and 4x400 relays. He was named Gatorade Player of the Year for Ohio during his senior year, an award which recognizes outstanding athletic excellence, high standards of academic achievement, and exemplary character.

His success followed him to the University of Pittsburgh, where he continued his hurdling career. He was an eight-time All-American athlete, between indoor and outdoor hurdling events. He won the Atlantic Coast Conference title in the 400 meter hurdles as a sophomore and again as a junior. He broke and still holds the Pitt record for the 400 meter hurdles, in addition to his countless other individual and relay championships. Off the track, he worked as a Marketing Intern for Orange Arrow during the spring of his senior year.

Desmond graduated from Pitt in the spring of 2017 with a degree in Media and Professional Communications. His Moment of Truth came during the summer following graduation. He found himself at a pivotal moment in his life: should he continue hurdling or hang up his spikes and pursue a career? After talking to family and friends, Desmond decided to stop hurdling and begin his professional life, outside of sports. After reflecting on his athletic career, Desmond felt satisfied with his accomplishments and was ready to move on to the next chapter of his life. He says that “When a sport becomes your job, it changes your relationship with it.” Even though he enjoyed the grind of competing, he was ready to form an identity outside of sports.

Today, Desmond works as a Marketing Coordinator for a hospital in New Jersey. He says he misses being an athlete and would be open to considering competing again, but, for now, he is satisfied with his life and career. He gives advice to friends and family who are competing in track and field, and he may one day work as a coach if the opportunity arises.

Desmond’s Moment of Truth story is not one of injury or loss, but, rather, one of considering which path is best for you, whether that be in athletics or in life. Desmond urges young student-athletes to always work hard and follow their dreams and aspirations, but also to make informed decisions for yourself and your future. He says that it is very possible for athletes to pursue their sport while also developing their professional life, whether that is through an internship, career, graduate school, or any other avenue for off-the-field development. It is important to know your limits and know when it is time to pursue a different path, off of the track.

“Teaching isn’t just speaking, it’s also listening.”

Ryan Schlieper grew up in Allison Park, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh. He attended North Allegheny High School and ultimately decided to start his college career as an offensive lineman for the University of Pittsburgh. He was a three-year starter, notably helping the Pitt football team to a 30-27 victory over Bowling Green State University in the 2013 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, the final game of his college career.

While pursuing his degrees in history and administration of justice, Ryan realized that playing football would not be enough to get him through college - he also needed to complete an internship in order to graduate. He approached Penny from Pitt’s Life Skills Program who referred him to Shawn Robinson and his brand new organization, Orange Arrow.

At the time, Orange Arrow was still in its early stages, based out of Posvar Hall at the University of Pittsburgh. Rather than working in the Pittsburgh Public Schools like it does today, Orange Arrow mentored students at various Boys & Girls Club locations in Pittsburgh. Ryan first met Shawn at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Oakland where they discussed Orange Arrow, Shawn’s vision, and Ryan’s background and qualifications.

Shawn ultimately decided to hire Ryan and brought him on as Orange Arrow’s first ever intern. At the time, interns did not have titles, so he did a little bit of everything until he was joined by a marketing intern, Julie, a few months later. While interning, Ryan mentored kids at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the greater Pittsburgh area, answering their questions about football, college, and life in general. Ryan recalls much of the time he spent advising young male student-athletes at the Boys & Girls Club and discussing the incident with Ray Rice. He says that the boys had a lot of questions surrounding this incident and he was able to use it as a way of starting a conversation about the crucial importance of being a gentleman and always performing well and being successful both on and off the field.

One of his fondest memories of his time at Orange Arrow is when he and fellow intern, Julie, went to the Sto-Ken-Rox Boys & Girls Club to teach the student-athletes how to tie a tie. Shawn was not able to go with them, so it was up to them to take over the lesson for the day. Ryan remembers being nervous about teaching without any guidance from Shawn because, at the time, he had never been alone with kids before, let alone tried to hold their attention long enough to teach a lesson. To make matters worse, he could barely tie a tie himself, so he could not imagine how he would ever be able to hold the kids’ attention and teach them how to do something that he was not entirely confident about doing himself.

Despite his fears, the lesson was a success, and Ryan continued his work with Orange Arrow. He interned for about seven months, spring and summer, and completed his degrees in history and administration of justice soon after. After graduating, he decided to stay at the University of Pittsburgh to attend graduate school. He worked as a full-time student teacher throughout his time in school and he graduated with a Master’s of Arts and Education in 2015.

Today, Ryan works as a high school history teacher, teaching world and United States history in Chicago, Illinois. He says he wanted to become a teacher because he likes helping people and working with kids, and he has always loved history, so becoming a history teacher seemed like a natural fit for him. Prior to starting at Orange Arrow, Ryan thought he wanted to be a teacher, but he had no real experience working with kids, so he was not entirely sure if education was the right path for him to pursue. He says that Orange Arrow has really shaped who he is, and that is has had a huge impact on his life, beyond college and even influenced his decision to pursue a career in education. While interning, he was able to gain valuable hands-on experience working with kids, ultimately solidifying his decision to pursue a career as a teacher.

“At the end of the day, you’re only going to be an athlete for so long.”

Mike Pichette is a former University of Pittsburgh swimmer. He grew up in Strongsville, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. He started taking baby swim lessons at his local YMCA at the age of just one or two. At age five, he joined a summer league swim team with his friends and it was here that he started to truly develop a love for swimming. Four years later, his coaches encouraged him to start swimming competitively on club teams. By age twelve, he was making zone meets, breaking local records, and getting his first taste of success.

Mike attended Strongsville High School and swam all four years, setting records in the 100 backstroke, 100 fly, and 200 medley relay. He knew as a freshman that he wanted to swim Division 1 in college and one day swim in the Olympics. He worked toward this goal, qualifying for states and All-Ohio selections during all four years of high school. During his junior year, Mike was named The Post News Swimmer of the Year. He received a leadership award from the SwimStrong club team and was named MVP and “hardest worker.” In the spring of his senior year, he swam the ninth fastest time in Ohio State history.

During his senior year, Mike committed to swim at the University of Pittsburgh. When he got to Pitt, he primarily swam the 100 and 200 fly, and he made it to the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships at the end of his freshman year. Following his freshman year, the swim team underwent a head coaching change, which proved to be a huge culture shock for Mike and the other swimmers. Suddenly, the intensity was heightened to a level that no one had ever experienced before, but Mike rose to the challenge, recording top-ten finishes in the 100 and 200 fly in the first two meets of his sophomore season.

He did not know it at the time, but these meets would be his last. The night before the first dual meet of his sophomore season, Mike was hit by a car while on his way to a night class. The accident left him with a broken right ankle, torn tendons, and numerous back injuries, ending his sophomore swimming season. He took a redshirt year and spent the winter focusing on his road to recovery.

As he recovered from his injuries, he began to experience new health problems - he had numerous stomach issues and began rapidly losing weight. In the spring, he started training more intensely, but one day while in the weight room, he reinjured his ankle. This was Mike’s Moment of Truth, as this second injury ultimately led him to the decision to end his professional swimming career.

After deciding to stop swimming, Mike was lost - swimming had been his life for nearly twenty years. During swimming, he served on the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, which was very important to him, so, now, he did not know what to do in school without swimming, and he says he was “Just going through the motions.” This continued until Penny Semaia from Pitt’s Life Skills Program referred him to Shawn Robinson and his organization, Orange Arrow.

Mike credits Shawn and Orange Arrow with getting his life back on track by giving him a sense of normalcy and something productive to do outside of class. Even though he could no longer participate in athletics, he knew he still wanted to be involved with athletes, and Shawn’s story and the Orange Arrow mission hit close to home. Mike says he wishes someone had told him when he was younger to have a backup plan in case his athletic dreams did not work out because it would have made his transition from athlete to non-athlete easier.

Today, Mike is in his junior year at Pitt studying communication. He serves as a Head Coach for Orange Arrow, working with young student-athletes at the Pittsburgh Arsenal Middle School every Wednesday. When he talks to the students, he tells them to “Always have a backup plan - never put all of your eggs in one basket.” He discusses the importance of being a good, well-rounded individual, and he puts a lot of emphasis on looking at the bigger picture of life, rather than just the individual pieces, such as athletic dreams.

Mike’s final words of advice for all young student-athletes...

Tony Fisher is a former NFL running back. He grew up in Euclid, Ohio and started playing organized football at 9 years old. “Being a city kid I liked to play football with the neighborhood kids, and it just turned out that I was good at it.” Growing up, Tony explained how it was his dream to play in the NFL one day. He grew up watching the Cleveland Browns play and they became his idols..

He attended Euclid High School where he played football and basketball. Tony lettered in both sports and was awarded the Mr. Football award in 1997. The award is given by the Associated Press to the best high school football player in Ohio.  In addition, he ran for 40 touchdowns and 2,144 yards his senior year in football and in basketball he averaged 23 points and 11 rebounds per game.

“Basketball was fun, but football was my sport.” Tony expressed how he enjoyed playing basketball but did not think he was built to be an NBA player. He had interest in playing football in college was able to receive a scholarship to Notre Dame. Many thought he was going to play at OSU, but growing up watching Notre Dame football on TV made him decide on Notre Dame. While he was at Notre Dame he majored in Economics and Computer Applications making the Dean’s List multiple times.

Aside from succeeding at Notre Dame, Tony tore both of his hamstrings his senior year of college. This injury held him back from the draft and entered the NFL as an undrafted player for the Green Bay Packers. Fisher also spent one season with the Rams. He retired from the NFL after 6 seasons.

Tony’s injury during his senior year of college was his Moment of Truth.  “The injury was not a good look for scouts and I knew it was going to be an uphill battle before I even began my career in the NFL.” Tony thinks he would have been able to play for a few more seasons but was lucky to face this reality when he did. “It helped me prepare for the real world and helped me realize the game won’t last forever. I had multiple knee injuries and given the lack of demand for running backs at the time, it made sense for me to retire when I did.”

After his retirement, Tony went back to Ohio and became a High School Running Back Coach. After coaching he found success off the field as the Senior Coordinator of Player and Alumni relations for the Green Bay Packers. “I get to help the players and alumni create relationships within the organization and teach them the importance of their appearance in the community.” Tony recognizes the importance of his role, especially from being a player, and now an alumni himself. These jobs have helped Tony to fill the void from not playing football.

Horatio Benedict Blades, or H.B. Blades, is a former NFL player for the Washington Redskins. His family created the nickname H.B. for him because they thought that Horatio was too long of a name. He was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida but also spent time living in Detroit and Seattle.

H.B. was about 7 years old when he started playing football. Even though his dad and two uncles have all played in the NFL, his family really did not want him to play football. However, he grew up watching them having fun and being successful. He even had the chance to go into NFL locker rooms and go to NFL games in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. By having these opportunities it seemed like he had a head start that most other kids do not have. “It was never really a goal to play in the NFL, but it would have been the icing on the cake for me.”

Aside from football H.B. played basketball too, but after his freshman year he did not play basketball anymore so he could focus on football. As he attended Plantation High School in Florida he started to plan on going to college to get an education.

H.B. started looking into universities, specifically Pitt, Auburn, Virginia, USC, and Michigan. Strangely enough, his dad, and two brothers all attended the University of Miami, which wasn’t even one of H.B.’s choices. He decided on attending the University of Pittsburgh. “Leaving Fort Lauderdale wasn’t a difficult transition because I also lived in Detroit and Seattle.”

H.B. received his degree in Business and Administration. As for football, he was Defensive Player of the year, three time All Big East Conference, and was also a team captain at Pitt. After college, H.B. planned on getting a career with the CIA or FBI, however he was an All-American player so it made sense for him to enter the draft. H.B. entered the draft in 2007 and was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the 6th round.

After spending four seasons with the Washington Redskins, H.B. was cut from the Redskins right before the start of the 2011 season. However, he explains his moment of truth happened even before he was in the NFL. H.B. was about 15 years old when he saw his dad suffering from chronic back issues after spending some time in the NFL. “I realized that no one is Superman and you can’t play football forever.”

At first it seemed like a difficult reality to accept, but what made it easier was that it was realistic to not play football forever. He was happy to be able to go through this at a young age because it allowed him to plan accordingly for what he would do with life after football. Overall, he wouldn’t do anything differently because he enjoyed his time with the Redskins.  “I was able to learn a lot about life, myself, and other people and their backgrounds. Football is a really diverse sport and I love it.”

Today, H.B. has found success off the field by giving back to youth, which is something he has always wanted to do. H.B. is currently a high school football coach at Indian Land High School in Charlotte, NC.  

Shaun Lane was a student-athlete who played football at The Ohio State University. He wanted to be known for accomplishing his dream of playing in the NFL, but he is more widely known for an injury that changed his life forever.

Shaun was raised in Hubbard, Ohio. Growing up, he loved the game of football and looked up to his dad, Garcia, as an inspiration. Shaun first played organized football in 8th grade. Initially, his mother would not let him play because a few nights a week - including Fridays - were for church. However, that didn’t stop Shaun. He snuck onto his middle school football team as a quarterback. He made sure to be home from practice before his mom got home. Eventually his coach called Shaun's mom begging her to let him play, and it worked. She finally agreed to let him play.

As Shaun became more involved with football, he began to dream about playing in the NFL one day. Just being outside his aunt’s house and playing football with his friends and two brothers was enough for him to know he wanted to play football for as long as he could.

Shaun began his high school career at Woodrow Wilson in Ohio. During the winter break of his sophomore year, he transferred to - and ultimately graduated from - Hubbard High School. Hubbard was known for its great football program. Shaun’s new high school coach was the same coach who recruited his father. In addition to football, Shaun participated in track. He even went to States his senior year to compete in the Long Jump. Although he was successful in track, his main focus was football. He knew he was a decent player, so he invested time in practicing and working out instead of partying so that he could play football at the collegiate level.

Choosing a college was easy for Shaun. During his junior year in high school, an Ohio State (OSU) recruiter invited Shaun to Junior Day to visit the campus and see the football program. Shaun remembers that day well. “It was amazing to be talking to coaches and recruiters that already knew my name.” What was even more unforgettable was that he was offered a full scholarship to play football there, shortly after they had won the National Championship in 2003, and this was where his father had played. It was also meaningful because his dad was there to witness the offer. Shaun’s dad had not really been involved in his life growing up, however his dad being there showed Shaun how much this moment meant.

Shaun became an Ohio State Buckeye. He earned his Bachelor's degree in Consumer Affairs and played football for a total of 5 years. He was redshirted his freshman year but played as a defensive back, corner, and running back. 

Shaun’s most notable moment came while playing on special teams against the Ohio University Bobcats. Ohio State punted the ball and Ohio University fumbled it. Shaun recovered it, which led to a successful drive that resulted in a touchdown. He was named special teams player of the game. “Ohio State has such a recognized football program, so being able to play for them felt like a stepping stone to get to the NFL.”

Unexpectedly, Shaun’s dream of making it to the NFL came to a devastating end. His Moment of Truth came during the last game of his senior season versus Texas in the Fiesta Bowl on January 5, 2009.  Towards the end of the second quarter, Shaun made a tackle on a Texas kickoff return. The right side of his body went numb, and he was not able to get up. “I remembered feeling like I didn’t have an arm and when my teammate tried to help me up, I asked,  where is my arm?” Shaun regained movement in his right leg but still felt nothing in his arm. He later learned that there was nerve damage to the brachial plexus, which are the nerves that send signals from the brain to the arm. Shaun explains, “this nerve damage meant that even a wrong stretch could leave me paralyzed.” 

Shortly after the injury, Shaun described himself as “optimistic.” His doctors originally thought it was a stinger and with a few surgeries and over time he would regain most of the feeling back into his arm and hand. However, when he received the results of the MRI, it became clear this wasn’t the case. They told him he could no longer play football, and that is when reality hit him. He realized the nerve damage was something he would struggle with for the rest of his life, and he left the doctor's office in shock. 

During this time, Shaun dealt with a range of emotions: shock, devastation, disappointment, even depression. He admits it was tough to sit on the sidelines and watch his teammates participate in Pro-Day where athletes worked out in front of NFL scouts. He knew his friends would be future professional athletes, and that was no longer a possibility for him.

Since his Moment of Truth, Shaun has taken multiple steps to move beyond the injury. There are many tasks for which most people need both hands, but he has learned to use one hand to close a trash bag and tie his shoes. Even though it has been a few years, there are still new challenges to face, and some things - like shaking hands with someone - are still awkward. “The challenges I have faced really taught me patience and have helped to train my mind.”

Shaun uses his Consumer Affairs degree to educate managers at Walmart, and he works in Real Estate. He speaks at local high schools, sharing his story with hopes that he can help and even inspire others.

“It was difficult to accept it, but life does go on.”

DeJuan Groce is a former All-American Cornerback. He calls Garfield Heights, Ohio his hometown. His dad was in the Army, so he also lived in Germany as a child and did not know anything about football until the age of 7. At that time, DeJuan started playing football for fun, and people told him he was a great player. This inspired him to try out for a little league team when he was 13 years old, which was the start of his career in football.

When asked if it was his dream to one day make it big in the NFL, he stated, “originally, no.” He explained that when he was first learning the game of football, it was Desmond - his cousin - who had a dream to play in the NFL. However, his cousin’s dream turned into his own dream when he was in the 7th grade. As Dejuan began getting serious about football, he had a conversation with his dad what his goals were. He supplies his dad with a list of four:

Earn good grades in high school

Obtain a football scholarship to a 4 year university

Earn a degree in Computer Science

Pursue a career in the NFL.

“I wrote down these four goals and put them on my wall to look at every day.” It worked. DeJuan has completed all of his goals - with a slight modification. Instead of earning a degree with computers, he earned it in Communications.

Originally, DeJuan attended JFK High School in Cleveland, OH, but then transferred to St. Edwards High School which is also in Cleveland. This transition from JFK to St. Edwards was a significant moment for DeJuan. In addition to being comfortable at JFK High School, he had developed a close friendship with one of his teammates. They played together in little league, grew up together, and attended high school together. Sadly, this teammate was in the wrong place at the wrong time and was killed. After this, his parents and coach - Bruce Walker - sat him down and talked to him about transferring to St. Edwards before his sophomore year. “I did not want to leave my friends and teammates behind, plus I thought St. Edwards had no girls and was far away.” It took two buses and two trains to make the 90-minute commute. This was a school that was predominantly white and had a Catholic School dress code. He was scared he wouldn’t fit in because of where he was from. However, his parents and coach helped him to see the big picture and how this move would help him reach his goals and gain educational, spiritual, and social opportunities. DeJuan trusted his parents and coach, so he decided to become a St. Edwards Eagle. It was a culture shock at first, but he went on to make friends quickly and realized a life lesson. The lesson was that even though we come from different cultures, we have common dreams and goals.

At St. Edwards, DeJuan played football and ran track. He shined in football by setting multiple records, and the biggest highlight was being named a High School All-American Cornerback.

DeJuan’s decision to attend St. Edwards helped him accomplish his first goal of getting good grades in high school. He was now prepared to attack his next goal - to receive a football scholarship to a university. He had scholarship offers from Nebraska, Ohio State, Syracuse, Michigan State and Indiana. He went on a recruiting trip to help him decide. While in Nebraska, he watched a Cornhuskers practice, and watching the offense vs. the defense on the goal line sealed the deal. He decided to attend the University of Nebraska.

During his time at Nebraska, he flourished and set Nebraska, Big 12 and NCAA records and served as a team captain his senior year.

He holds Nebraska school records for:

most season pass breakups

punt return touchdowns

punt return yardage

His Big 12 records are:

All-Big 12 kick returner

Second-Team All-Big 12 cornerback

All-Big 12 purpose player

He is an NCAA record holder for:

most punt return touchdowns in a single game

First-Team All-American return specialist and punt returner

Third-Team All-American kick returner

Fourth-Team All-American cornerback

In the midst of a highly successful college career, DeJuan was faced with a devastating, personal loss. Four loved ones were killed in a car accident, including the one who introduced him to football, his cousin Desmond.

Upon receiving his degree, DeJuan accomplished his third goal and was ready to face his fourth goal of playing in the NFL. He entered the 2003 NFL Draft and was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the 4th round. Over his 4-year career, he also played for the New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks. 

Dejuan’s Moment of Truth began while he was a starter for the Rams. He tore the MCLs in both of his knees. He did not have a second opinion on getting surgery and played through his injury. Subsequently, he was traded to the Saints, but it was clear that his performance on the field was not at the level it once was, which led to him being cut from the team in 2007. He never played in the NFL again.

In one word, he described the reality as “tough.”  He had been playing the game of football for the majority of his life and was now faced with the reality of moving forward without the game. “It was difficult to accept it, but life does go on.” If he could go back in time, he would make sure to take better care of his body and would be more careful with his finances by investing in his dreams rather than the dreams of others. DeJuan is moving forward in life using his degree in Communications. He is now an entrepreneur owning a few businesses and loves spending time with his beautiful wife Tiffiney and three sons.

His word of advice to young athletes, “Have a fall back plan. Find and develop your skills and don’t put all of your focus into your sport. Instead, focus on doing better research to figure out what you want to do in life outside of that sport. Lastly, invest in yourself before you invest in others.”

 “I realized my career was coming to the end”

My moment of truth happened in 2010 when I was injured towards the 2009 season with a hip fracture that required surgery. I was trying to come back in 2010 but there was a lock out and I was recovering from my fourth surgery. Prior to my hip surgery, I had three ACL surgeries on my left knee. It was a struggle returning to high level competition and at the age of 31 playing against younger athletes became more challenging considering the wear and tear of my body.

I played all 7 years of my NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After realizing the NFL wasn’t going to happen for the upcoming season, I tried out for the Canadian Football League. Being in Canada for a few weeks working out, I realized that my body wasn’t feeling the same and the injuries started to take a toll on me. It is not easy to just give up something you love, so I wasn’t listening to my body. My mind was telling me I can, but my body was telling me otherwise and that was when I realized my career was coming to the end.