It all began when I was just a little kid playing with my older cousins and friends. The love for football. My cousin Dalton King inspired me to want to play football. I would go to my grandmother house and he would be there with his football equipment ready for either practice or a game. He was a linebacker, always in news papers and sometimes on the news for his talent. As I got older he would allow me and my other cousins use his equipment to just play around with and that's when I knew I wanted to play football. My father signed me up for the local little league football team where magic happened. I must say I was damn good too. My position was running back and on defense it was you guess it "linebacker". I was the smallest on the field every game but had the BIGGEST heart. I had a very good support system backing me every game I was in. As time went on and I got older, my size seem to be the same. My heart though was all in on this football thing. I had coaches come to me saying I was a rare talent for my size and never seen anything like it. Pretty much how I am today is how I was back then, very humble and preserved. I never let anyone see me under pressure.
Then here comes high school football, where again, I was the smallest but my heart never failed me on the field. Now some of you may be asking what does this have to do with prison or fighting for freedom etc... Well it does because that was my way out. If I had listened to family and friends and also some of my coaches back then, I wouldn't be here today sharing with you my story. I would be on TV playing on Sundays. My best friend asked me why I don't talk about football anymore and the truth is it hurt me thinking about it when I knew I had what it takes for the next level. See when you have a gift like I had I took for granted the opportunity to become GREAT at it. I listened to thos fake friends who never had the desire to play football not the skill set to play neither. My father was always there for me along with my cousin Dalton who inspired me in the first place to play. I remember when I knew it was over when I was in high school and the passion wasn't there anymore. I would make excuses not to go to practice and instead go somewhere to smoke and drink. I knew then that I was WASTING MY TALENT. I didn't care because now I was seeing what others saw. I was too small for the big boys. My message today is never give up on your dreams no matter what the odds are against you. If I was a betting man back then, I would've put all my chips in on ME and believed more of me.
I'm sitting in prison as another "WASTED TALENT" because I chose the wrong path. Someone asked me before why are you here Shepp? I said because I'm not a good follower. Always go with your gut and do what's right regardless of who's looking at you. I watch football now and say man that could've been me. Jadakiss said in one of his lyrics that "Its a brother up north that's better than Jordan". Its so much WASTED TALENT behind these walls. I want to be the first to replace my passion for the game and put it into something different like writing these blogs for you out there. This is not a GAME this is real LIFE. I had a chance to play the GAME and fumbled the ball. Guess who pick it up? The FEDS. God bless and remember that anything is possible when you believe in yourself. Peace
Shepp.
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