The smallest kid out of all my friends, I wasn’t the most popular, but I was everyone’s friend—a true chameleon. On the football field, I was the team’s punching bag, taking hits for the star players during practice. And I loved it. I never stopped. I played with all my heart. All the time. Proof of that is as early as my freshman year. During a game, there was a pause in play. An official praised me for my hard hits, hard enough to break bones, like my arm—which after the game I learned was broken. The football field is where I first learned the power of perseverance and where the belief was instilled in me that giving your all is the only way to overcome a challenge.