College Essay About Football

Jamel Lankford

College Essay

Now They Ask Why I Do it, Later They'll Ask How All my life I’ve always had the willingness to do the things others wouldn’t in order to succeed. Whether that be staying at football practice until 6:30 pm everyday after school to waking up at 5:00 in the morning to catch my train. There has always just been a self motivation I had internally to do the things that most found to be too demanding or too difficult. I believe this internal motivation stems from my love of football and all the values that the game of football has taught me. An internal motivation that I noticed a lot of kids in my neighborhood didn’t have. Where I come from people tend to accept the bare minimum instead of striving and grinding to be

While most kids around me were applying to known schools close to home just so they could hang out after school and go to the same school as their friends. I took it upon myself to apply to one of the most prestigious Catholic High School’s in New York City known for their excellence in academics and sports, Cardinal Hayes High School. The only problem was Cardinal Hayes is in the Bronx and I live in the southernmost part of Queens. Also to make matters worst my mother told me she didn’t want me applying to any schools in the Bronx because it was so far. However, I wouldn’t let distance stop my dream of going to this school because I knew this school would be the best chance of providing me with the tools I needed to get to college and have a successful future. So finally after much convincing my mother said I could go to Cardinal Hayes and even took me there for my

However once school started this is where it got difficult. My school has a very strict no tolerance for lateness policy and you have to be there by 7:50 am on the dot. However as I mentioned my school is all the way in the Bronx and I live in Queens and in order for me to get to school on time I have to wake up at 5:00am to catch the A train then I transfer to the 4 train then I walk 10 minutes up one of the steepest hills in the Bronx. In total my daily commute to school takes 1 hour and 45 minutes. It only got worse from there. I was on the football team at my school and practice would start immediately once school ended and would end at 6:30 pm everyday. I would then have to get on the train again for my commute home, not getting home until 8:00pm most of the time, not including the time the mass amounts of train delays the NYC subway system has. Once I get home I then have to do my homework or study for an upcoming test, eat dinner, then take a shower. And when I finally went to bed it would be 12:30am or so. This is something that not many are willing to do especially adolescents who are just learning to