Personal Narrative: Austin Adams

I can remember the first time I watched Austin Adams the football player; but more importantly, I cannot forget the first time I met Austin the boy. I was on my way to my car after getting groceries for my family’s Sunday brunch when a can of yams rolled out of the shopping cart and onto the parking lot. He was the cashier in the check-out aisle next to the one I was in and ran outside the store to catch me and return the runaway can. I was touched by his deed because it is not too often you see someone take the time and effort to stop what they are doing in order to perform an act of genuine kindness. Truly, Austin Adams is an excellent young man but a can of yams does not do his story justice. Lucky for us all, this was just the beginning.

Once I caught word of this information, there was just one thing I had to do and that was to offer him a scholarship to play football at the University of Houston. I could see the tears well up in his parent’s eyes as I pulled them all aside to give them the news. I told him, “You are not the biggest, nor the strongest, nor are you the quickest. But, if you can promise me that you will play with the same heart, grit, passion, and dedication that I saw when you were in high school, then I can promise you that you will be given a chance. Once you get that chance, all I need for you to do is to just get

I saw him alone in the locker room, he had already dropped his bag from his shoulder and was standing there looking at his name across the back of his jersey. “All my life I have dreamed about one day standing where I am right now.”, he said. Austin turned around and looked me in the eyes and asked, “do you really think I can do this?” I have to admit I was insulted to a degree by him asking. Without hesitating I told him, “Never have I ever seen someone so passionate, so dedicated, and so driven ask for so little. If there was ever a time for something happen that no one has ever seen before, it is now. If there was ever a person who deserved a miracle now, it is you. There is not a single ounce in my body that thinks that you will disappoint anyone.” Austin stood up, threw on his shoulder pads, grabbed his helmet, winked at me with the same confident smirk I have seen time and time again, and walked down the tunnel.
As soon as Austin broke through the shade of the tunnel, an eruption of commotion bellowed from the stands. It was as if the entire town of Manvel came to cheer him on. I remember seeing his parents, many of his past football players that he played with in high school and college, and even the two elderly women whom he helped bring groceries to had their foam fingers Texan jerseys on. This was