Beyond the Record Book
"Looking back, the losses, the injury, and the struggles helped me grow more than the success ever could."
Beyond the Record Book
When people look at athletes, they usually see the wins, the records, the statistics. What they don’t see is everything that happens during the seasons where nothing goes your way.
I came into college football full of excitement, but that was shut down fast. Our first two seasons ended the same, winless. Losing every single game is something that doesn’t happen often. It takes a toll on you, it makes you question yourself and even your love for the game. That second winless year, I suffered a season ending injury. Not only were we losing, but I was now watching from the sidelines, feeling helpless and disconnected from something I had worked toward my whole life.
The physical pain of injury was difficult, but the mental battle was even harder. I doubted myself often. I wondered if the hard work was worth it. I questioned whether things would ever turn around. It was in those moments that I learned that it was more than what was on the field.
My faith in Jesus became my crutch. When everything on the field felt like it was falling apart, I was eventually able to find peace in this. I started to understand that my identity wasn’t defined by wins, losses, or statistics and the relationships I built with my teammates grew stronger through the struggle. Struggling together, and pushing through together created bonds that no athletic success ever could. My family never stopped believing in me, even when it was hard for me to believe in myself.
This past year, the work started to show. We are not where we want to be yet, but we won our first games in three years, I broke three NMU records and was blessed with an All-American season. What once felt so far away became reality, not because things got easy, but because we never quit.
Looking back, the losses, the injury, and the struggles helped me grow more than the success ever could. They taught me to be resilient, faithful, and showed the value of the people around me. Now, our program is in a strong position, and I’m excited for what the future holds.
