It all started my sophomore year. I was young, undersized and hadn’t gotten the chance to make a name for myself yet. I remember it like it was yesterday, the first meeting we had with the varsity football coach. The first time he would be able to get a look at all the sophomores moving up and give his input on what he thought would develop us into a varsity football player. I was sitting kind of in the back and he had gone through several players telling them what he thought and finally got to me asked my name and position I gave him my name and said “quarterback and defensive back” for my positions and he just looked at me for a second, almost looking right past me like I wasn‘t going to be able to contribute anything the team and said “You need to get in the weight room and get bigger and stronger. You’ll never physically make it through a varsity football season at your size.” I don’t know how this would make other people feel, but I am not the kind of person who likes to be told that I can’t do something for any reason, especially because I’m not big or strong enough. By that statement, my coach lit a fire inside me and made me angry. The next Monday after the meeting with coach I was in the weight room working out, going at least three days a week and continued to do so throughout the school year and even through the summer. Me, not being the strongest kid ever, there were a couple players who were approaching their senior season who started working out with me, which for them was more like helping me out. I gained their respect and really started to look up to them and still do to this day. I worked out with them everyday doing everything they told me to do. I did get quite bit stronger, but when practices started I hadn’t got much bigger. On the first day of practice the coach looked right past me again still not thinking I could contribute, but throughout the first couple weeks I started to gain recognition from my positional coaches which eventually became the head coach. He still saw me as undersized and still thought I wouldn’t be able to contribute but earned myself a starting job on four of the six the special teams, kick-off, kick return, punt and punt return. Most kids looked at special teams as something that’s not important and didn’t want to be on them, but I looked at them as an opportunity to prove something to the coaches. I earned a varsity letter as a sophomore, which was huge for me. After my sophomore season I took a week off and was back at it. I hit the weight room and just like the year before lifted all school year and through the summer, which caught the coaches eye, who was now new to the program. On the first day of practice I was informed I was being moved to half-back and would immediately be competing for a starting job with a senior and a couple of fellow juniors. I worked as hard as I could through three a days which are where we would have three practices for two weeks to get us ready for the season. I was in great shape and at the end of three a days was one of the only eight kids who had made through all of the practices and earned myself a starting spot. My junior season passed, our team was not very successful, only winning one game, but none the less I went the whole season without missing a practice or game and leading the team in rushing with over 700 yards. At the end of the year we had a banquet where the coaches give away awards. I received the “Most Dedicated Player” award. This award goes to the player who not only shows up to everything and does what he is told to do, but also goes above and beyond that. Taking a beating all game long, maybe even having slight injuries but putting the pain aside to finish the game and help the team out however he can. I am honored to receive the award. Next off-season rolled around and I was back to doing what I did the past two years. But this off-season was a little different, it was the one leading to my senior season. I made sure to everything a little harder and be a leader now that I was going to be a senior. I’m not a great speaker and can’t really bring out an inspirational speech before a game. I am somebody who leads by example, doing everything 100 percent all the time, fighting off pain and injuries. I was elected to be one of the three captains to lead the team by the coaches and my fellow players. I will never know exactly that coach’s intensions were on saying what he said to me, because he only coached me for that one season and never really got to know me. He may have meant it literally, or the way I took it. He lit a fire in me like most people can’t do and made me want to prove him wrong. Looking back today I believe I did prove him wrong and also believe he is partially what got me to where I am today a senior captain and the recipient of the coaches award of “Most Dedicated Player.”

Josh Robinson