Jayy McDonald

English 210

December 10, 2018

Champion

    As I sit inside my locker in the locker room, I knew this day was possible, but I didn’t know it was going to come true.  Its November 24th, 2018, tonight is the second round of the California Community College Football playoffs and its Laney Eagles versus the Fresno City Rams.  This game is the Northern California Regional Championship Game, and the winner of this game will represent the north in the California State Championship Game.  I see everyone, I see how important this game is to this team. I see every last one of them thinking, praying, and hoping for a good turn out. Most of the people on this team come from somewhat well backgrounds, and some come from nothing yet, you have guys on this team from out of state. Some have kids, some with one strike that can send them back to prison, and even guys that are 18 fresh outta high school.  Everyone is so different but, all have one thing in common and that’s to win a State ring.

For me it’s bigger than football, it is bigger than a game.  Just three weeks ago I was homeless sleeping outside, no money, no food but, I busted my behind to show up for practice everyday.  I did what I could to bring my A game every week so we could win and be successful. It’s bigger than a game. I’m not even supposed to be here, I’m 22 years old, on my 2nd strike with a 3 year old son, and all aspiration to make it to the top.  I can not afford to lose what I set out to be win for.  The way I grew up, it was either ball or Gang banging.  At a young age I started down the wrong path. I started selling drugs, getting in trouble with the law, and putting a rap sheet under my name that will never go anywhere.  It was at that moment of me losing everything when I realized that having my life go into a downhill spiral wasn’t the life I wanted to live.

        “It’s time”, said Coach Beam as he walked through the locker room waiting for us to follow behind him for us to walk to the field.  I grabbed my helmet, took a deep breath, and said to myself “it’s win or go home”. Going home for me wasn’t an option. As I walked out of the locker room I hear the music from the stadium playing.  I hear the fans, the announcer speaking, and also my heart beating. See Laney has never made it this far before in a football season and with this being one of the “weaker teams” the school has had. The hardest football schedule in the state of California, we weren’t expecting to make it this far anyway but, we did anyway.  As I got onto the field to warm up and do our team stretch, I looked at the scoreboard. It showed 40 minutes in counting. 40 minutes till game time, 40 minutes until the start of the game, and 60 minutes of focus, hard work, and grit. “Coach we need your captains”, said the referee. “6” Coach Beam yelled out, “You are tonight’s captain, you are the captain of this team”.  I looked down at my jersey number and realized as I forgot for a split second that I’m number 6. I’m the captain, he was talking to me. I walked to the center of the field and met with the other team captain. We did the coin toss, heard the rules, and the expectations the ref had for the game.

As I stood there I wasn’t focused on what was being said or who was around me.  All I could think of was me sitting in a park at 3 o’clock in the morning crying, trying to figure out why my life had to be the way it was, trying to figure out why God put me through everything he did.  Immediately after that thought I came back to reality and as I walked back to my team to get ready to start the game. The coach came up to me and saying, “Big time players makes big time plays in big time games… you got us this far, now bring us home”.  I smiled in agreement, I put my helmet on, ran out onto the field for kickoff return, and I was as the one to return the ball. The referee blew his whistle and the opposing team kicker approached the ball to kick it.. Everything went silent around me. As I looked up to the sky, I followed the ball.  A flashback of every moment that was wrong and bad in my life started going through my brain. I caught the ball and heard “ LETS GO JOHN!!!!”

       The night was historical for the Laney College Eagles.  The Eagles beat the Fresno City college Rams 24-0. Laney College for the first time in the schools history advances to the California Community College State Championships.  As we celebrated up and down the field, I saw so much happiness and smiles, I saw excitement. They brought the trophies out and all the cameras was everywhere in the field and in our faces. “10 carries, 144 yards rushing, 2 receptions for 53 yards, and a major stamp to your 1000 yard season. How do you feel?”, a man said to me as I was sitting on my knees taking in the emotional moment.  “I feel blessed”, I replied. The moment was so emotional for me and it hit me hard because I knew not only did we make history, not only did we, did I, overcome so much but, the fact that it was almost over. One more game and this triumph of a season was going to be over. One more game and it happened to be the biggest game of the season, biggest game in the state, and the biggest game I ever played in.

        Not too long ago I was sitting in a cell with no hope of getting out and having a regular life. I had no dreams and no goals because in there, they teach you nothing but failure.  They give you the mentality of emptiness and when you get out to society you’ll be a fly in a clear glass of milk. It’s crazy because till this day I struggle with getting a job, that means it’s hard for me to put food in my stomach and have a roof over my head.  So when some athletes say “this all I got”, it’s not a lie. This is my only way out, this is my ticket to a better life not only for me but, for my son Nehemiah as well. Like I said, I was homeless when I got back from Missouri. I had 20 dollars in my pocket and a 2001 Audi A4 car, plus keys.  I was driving back and forth from Stockton to Oakland just to attend school and go to practice to play football. One day getting on the freeway after practice to get home my car engine blew out, so now look at me at the moment. I was stuck, no money, no family, with a engine that will cost 2,000 dollars to fix.

        For 85 percent of the fall semester, I was sleeping in that broke down car, right here at our very own Laney College Field House parking lot.  I would get up early in the morning, go to the locker room with a pair of changing clothes, shower, change then go to class and go through my day without anyone knowing what was going on with me.  I can hear you saying, “What about financial aid?” That didn’t work for me either since I have no parents and I’m under 24 years old. I can’t be labeled as independent person yet. Which meant they need my parents information, proof of dependency, and non filing just for them to review and approve me to give me money.  Yet, I still did all of that and still no money from the school I was going to. Now doesn’t that seem a little messed up to know my situation and still no help. Yeah I thought so too. Not having money to provide for my son and I is tough yet, we I still made it through.

    Since my team and I won the conference game, it meant that we advanced onto state championships.  Now we are talking about a game that can change everything for me. This is the game of a lifetime, a game that I have been trying to get to since that start of the season.  Now I am at the point of no return and I can’t go back to where I was before. My whole team is excited that we advanced to the State game, a game that many people predicted we were not supposed to go.  Even I thought we weren’t going to make it to State but, now that I am here, I don’t have to imagine actually going State because I am here. It’s game time, now I need to be here for my team and myself.

    Game day and not many people are in the stands but, the game isn’t ready to start yet.  My team and I headed to the field to do our team warm-ups. I’m only paying attention my team and what I need to do for the game.  It’s not about what everyone else can do, it is about what I can do to help my team succeed. People started showing up in the stands to watch the game.  Laney was sitting on the opposite side of the entrance to get into the stadium. I didn’t realize it until I heard the cheers of the Laney crowd. I was so focused on the game that I couldn’t see or anything else.  We went back inside after we did our drills on the field and had one last conversation. We even had one last prayer before we went back to the field when the game was getting ready to start. I still couldn’t believe that I was at State playing for a ring and the title of California Community College Athletic Association Champions.  This was an unbelievable advantage we had on the other team. We used to be number two in the state until we lost to San Mateo the first time but, now were not, we are playing to be State Champions.

    Now it’s game time and I’m uneasy but, I can manage.  Game is depending on me. I said to myself, “We wouldn’t  be here if it wasn’t for you,” Beam said to me. I didn’t really think anything of it until I started playing.  I was playing in the game and not knowing that I was getting over 30 carries before the game ended. As we played through the game it I was almost time for the game to end.  It was 11 seconds left and the crowd was getting silent to see what is about to happen. Now it was defenses turn to make our win great or we walk off the field with our heads held high try again next year.  I wanted this win so bad so, I made sure to pay close attention to what was getting ready to happen. Was this the game that was going to change my life? Am I going to be a State Champion? Was I going to win the ring I set my heart out for?  All these questions and it all mattered in those last 11 seconds. Watching the next play and hearing the crowd go wild over what is happening. The quarterback looking for the someone to throw the ball to. He ends up running it with five seconds to go.  At that moment I knew we were State Champs. The whole crowd went wild, the team, the coaches, it was an amazing feeling. We were awarded the awards after everything was calmed down. Just before they announced the winner of the game I was awarded “Most Valuable Player”.

    After I received my trophy they announced the winners of the CCCAA game.  I went straight to my family when they said that. My sons smile when I went to him made everything better.  I was a proud parent to see my son at my game and to hold him in my arms meant everything. It made me think about all the struggles I went through to make it to this moment.  It made me think about how hard I worked to be in the position I was in and to make sure my son had a better life. I need to make sure that I was capable enough to do that and that’s was I am doing.  We made history on that field. I made history on that field for Laney that day. I lead the state with the most rushing yards in the game. This moment was more important than a piece of paper with and acknowledgement on it.  At this moment I felt all the pain, happiness, defeat, and triumph in my life. I felt as I completed a chapter of my life and now onto the next chapter. At this point I couldn’t feel any better about my life.

    Now I am onto finishing my semester at Laney with a 3.32 GPA.  I have 3 full ride offers right after state and I lost the 13 I once had before.  Me realizing that the best in life is not accepting negativity. I remember someone telling me, “Any person stopping me, is me”.

I know know that the glass is never half empty, it is only just half full.  We only see the glass as half empty not realizing that the glass is half full to fill up and make something happen with the glass.  Going from a homeless with major talent in not just one sport but two says something. To a history maker, MVP, State Champion, a proud father, and a champion with in myself, I know to be the best I can be.  I can only do what’s best for me and my son regardless of what anyone else says.

“It’s all about staying driven and being determined to be successful”. -John McDonald