The Journey

1st Quarter 

Football has been apart of my life since I was 7 years old. I fell in love with the game after seeing my big brother Malik play. When I finally got on the field, there was no stopping me. I’ve always strived to be the best player on my team. The coaches loved me and never took me off the field. I played the entire game…every snap…every play. I went to the championship my first year playing football for Bowie Bulldogs. We played at St. John’s College High School. We ended up losing the game, but everyone left their hearts on the field. I was only 7 years old at the time and did not know where I was. But, now that I’m older and look back at those unforgettable moments, I cannot believe I was playing at what would be my future high school!

2nd Quarter

I went from playing every snap in little league to not playing at all in high school. The only time I played was sophomore year when I was on JV. I played both sides of the ball just like I did in peewee football. I vividly remember making tackles in the open field and catching two interceptions that year. After playing Wilson High School in Washington D.C., one of their coaches asked my Varsity linebacker coach, Coach G, “why is #8 not on Varsity!?” Knowing that their coach said that gave me confidence that I really had a chance with football in my future. I got moved up to Varsity for the playoffs because of my hard work on JV. Then, junior year came around and similar to freshman year, I barely got any playing time. I knew I would never see the field because underclassmen were getting on the field before me. I needed to make a change because my goal had always been to make it to the NFL since I started playing football. My dream had no chance of coming true if I wasn’t playing. 

After attending St. John’s for three years, I decided to transfer to Riverdale Baptist to finish off my high school career. At SJC, I was told that I had a great work ethic, was very coachable, and respectful to everyone. However, not every coach felt that way. I still remember what one of my coaches said behind my back. I will never forget it. He said,

“And Makai? I don’t give a fuck what he does; you wanna go to a public school and be a superstar, go ahead, not gonna get no offers. Had one pick and a fumble.”

I had already thought about transferring and once he found out about it, he said this. He was not only disrespectful, but wrong because I did not even have a public school in my options for next season. This statement he made was the deciding factor in me finally transferring. I can’t play for a coach that disrespects me when I’m not there to defend myself. What he said will always be in the back of my mind because it drives me to be the best I can be. He is one of the many doubters I have encountered in my football career. I don’t let them get to my head though. Instead, I use that anger as fuel to work harder so I can prove all of them wrong once I make it on the big stage. 

Halftime  

My family and I made the best decision for my future. I was not welcome at St. John’s and turns out, the same exact thing happened at my next school. I thought Riverdale Baptist in Upper Marlboro, Maryland was my best option.

It was going to be a new beginning for me and open up new doors. It was close to home so commuting would be fairly easy. I was going to get several scholarship offers for football so my parents wouldn’t have to pay for college.

This is the mindset I had. I already had my senior year all planned out. Little did I know the coaches would lie to me. They accepted me into their program just to never play me; even though I was one of the best defensive backs on the team. I say this not to be cocky, but because my teammates told me. Since I was the new guy, I tried to show everyone how good I was by giving 110% effort in practice. I was remarkable when I first got there and just knew I was going to be a starter. I got in a lot at safety and made several plays during the summer practices.

First game of the season comes, I get in a little bit against Bishop McNamara. I thought I played well enough and earned myself even more playing time for the next game. In my head, I’m thinking: 

Ok this is good, I will work my way up into the starting lineup. 

Next game, I don’t play at all against Ballou. Third game, I play the entire time against Oxon Hill. The inconsistency was so confusing. What was I doing wrong? After that game, for the rest of the season, I did not play. After the sixth game, I had to talk to my coach because the reason I transferred was to play, not to stand on the sideline. The coach told me that he was trying to play the players that have already been at the school which did not make sense to me at all. Who cares if I’m the new guy? Before I decided to attend Riverdale, I had a meeting with the head coach and he told me I would have a chance to start every week depending on how hard I work in practice. However, my defensive coach had a total different philosophy. So, I had the same experience at Riverdale as I did at St. John’s, not seeing the field. 

3rd Quarter 

Nothing was going my way. I began losing confidence in myself. I started asking myself all of these questions. Am I really that bad? How did I go from playing every snap to sitting on the bench? Where did I go wrong? Will my dreams ever come true? Is this the right sport for me? Is this really my calling? I had to change my attitude because I was starting to think extremely negative everyday. 

Timeout

I had to remind myself that I would never stop working and that my time will come. When it comes, I will be well prepared and ready. I prayed to God every night, asking if He will stay by my side and continue to give me more opportunities. Psalm 23:4 has always been one of my favorite verses and every time I read it, I know that God’s got me. It reads, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” With God, I don’t fear anything.

4th Quarter

My parents and I started looking at prep schools for next season so I can get into a Division I college. We came across IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. IMG is one of the top high schools in the world. Athletes from all over the country go there to take their game to another level. Luckily for me, they also had a post-grad program which is for students who have graduated already but are still looking for opportunities to grow. I would not lose any eligibility for my college football experience so it was perfect! The only thing that frustrated me was that I was not allowed to play in any games since I had graduated already. There were three total post-grads on the team and we did everything with the team except play in the games. We traveled across the globe to play the top teams in the nation, worked out with them in the weight room, and practiced with them. On game day, I was a mini coach on the sideline. I helped the coaches with the play call sheet and I held up signs to show my teammates what play we were running. One game, I even got to be in the press box. Practices were my games. This is where I got all of my film for colleges to notice me. This is how I caught the eye of the prestigious Penn State University. I took two visits and as soon as I stepped foot on campus, I knew it was the school for me. I loved the environment and atmosphere. The support I received from the coaches and players persuaded me to fall in love with PSU.

Overtime 

I enrolled at Penn State in January, 2019. This was great because I got the opportunity to learn all of the plays and build relationships with the coaches before all of the other recruits came in during the summer. 

Once I finally got there, I was overwhelmed because I was in a new environment. But, I felt so accomplished. I never gave up on my dreams. IMG Academy really prepared me for college; not just with athletics, but also being away from home. I was farther away from home when I was in Florida than I am now at Penn State. I got accustomed to not having home cooked meals and not having my parents there to look after me. I was living on my own and I had to make my own decisions.

After being at PSU for a full year, I am extremely satisfied with my decision. Running out of the tunnel on Saturdays at Beaver Stadium gives me the chills. I can’t imagine how it will feel when I am starting in the upcoming years! It’s crazy how things work out. My life has been a rollercoaster and I would not change a thing about it. I went from not getting any playing time in high school to going to a top 10 team in college football. God works in mysterious ways. Everyone’s path is different and I have learned that everything happens for a reason. I know that God has special plans for me and my future.