For me, the year was 1994 and I was playing football down in junior college at Butte College in Chico California. I went down there with the attitude that nothing could stop me and I went from training camp being fifth string to moving up to the starting spot by my first game. In the first quarter of my first game I injured my knee and spent the next three weeks rehabbing before coming back and never regaining my starting spot. At that this time I got really down on myself, lost my confidence and doubted myself and whether or not I was good enough to play. I took a step back and had a long talk with my dad and realized that the only thing that could stop me from achieving my dream was me. An injury wasn’t going to stop me nor were any of the coaches who didn’t believe in me as much as I believed in myself. I believed that I was going to succeed and nothing was going to stop me. So for the rest of the season I busted my butt worked hard and decided that my goal was to come back the next year in the best shape of my life and be a different athlete and one that was unstoppable. That off-season I trained harder than I’ve ever trained in my life and by training camp in August I put on 25 pounds of muscle and looked and felt like a different human being. Even players were an awe when they saw me and couldn’t believe the confidence that came from within me. Needless to say, I got my starting job back and led the defense that was rated the number one defense in junior college in The United States in 1995.
At the end of the year I got a full scholarship to a division one school and went on to play many years in the CFL winning back to back Grey Cup championships in 2000 and 2001.
My Advice
My advice to any current athletes struggling is that life is filled with obstacles and there will always be haters and people telling you you’ll never make it. The choice is yours and yours only. If you don’t believe in yourself why would anyone else? Remember, champions keep going after everyone else quits. Believe that you have greatness within you.
Believe in yourself and know that the only one that can stop you from achieving your dreams and your goals is you. Take accountability and make it happen!
Thank you Kelly for your transparency and opening up about your highs and lows of your sport. I can imagine what that felt like to be going from a starter to an injury and losing your spot! It wasn’t easy for you and still isn’t easy for kids today! Your advice to athletes is to not lose confidence and to believe in yourself and fight for what you believed in and that was yourself. Way to get back in the game by working hard in the weight room and getting in shape for your next season. It’s obvious that you really made an impact through your off-season work with the #1 defense in JC and especially through the recognition of a Division 1 full scholarship. Lastly, your belief in yourself and hard work obviously paid off as you were able to not only make the team each year in professional football, but also to be able to be healthy enough to be able to make an impact for so many years. It’s not easy to do! I’m sure you work hard with real estate too and so I’d recommend you to others who live in BC to reach out and get to know you. Thanks again Kelly for your story.