My college football journey started in 2007 when I accepted a full athletic scholarship to Mississippi Valley State University.
I graduated from St. Louis High School in May 2007 and was not really sure what to expect going over two thousand miles away to Itta Bena.
I ended up going out there starting as a true freshman and having a great football experience, but I could not see myself staying in Mississippi for four years.
The following year I attended University of Hawai’i and continued to play football.
After a year of being home, there were too many distractions knocking me off track.
I then transferred again, to Saddleback Community College.
I had a successful year and was hoping to land another division one scholarship. At the midpoint of the recruiting process, Jacob Yoro, a former coach of mine from St. Louis, informed me he was taking a coaching job at Pacific University.
He told me it was going to be a brand new football program being built from scratch primarily with all freshmen.
The selling point for me was being able to come in as a leader for these young players and assist in building a championship level program.
After taking my trip to Pacific and listening to Coach Keith Buckley and his vision for how he wanted to build the program, I was sold.
I came to Pacific and finished my degree and playing career.
In my two years as a player and student, I grew to love the Pacific culture and family atmosphere.
It became my home. A place that I could succeed on the field and in the classroom.
When my clock was up, Coach Buckley approached me with an opportunity to become a part of the coaching staff.
He felt I had the tools to be a great coach and leader for the young men. With the championship culture that has been set in place here at Pacific, I knew it was an opportunity to continue putting my stamp of what we started in 2010.
I jumped on the opportunity in a heartbeat. Every level of team sports that I have been a part of since I was a kid, there was a coach that positively affected my life. I wanted to be that positive impact in these young men’s lives.
This was my opportunity to not only be around the sport that gave me so much, but also positively affect the lives of the guys that I coach. Pacific is a place that has given me so much more than just a great degree.
It has given me life-long friendships, growth and an opportunity to coach the sport I love and make a positive impact on kids.
I am forever grateful to Coach Buckley and the Pacific family for giving me an opportunity to become a college football coach.
I come to work every day with that in mind and always remind myself to be thankful for this opportunity because there is someone would die to be in my shoes.
It is my duty to live up to the standard I deem acceptable and give my all into this program making sure when our young men graduate, they will be ready for life and ready to become great husbands and fathers.
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