“First game of the season tomorrow and what will hopefully be my coming out party, one I often feel I wasn’t invited to. When I was in middle school I was told I wouldn’t be any good in high school and that I would never play. When I got to high school and became the starting safety I was told that I would always live in my brothers shadow and even then, I was told I was no good. Come beginning of my Junior year and I’m told how I will never get a scholarship offer and that I was too small or too slow to play at a big time school. Eventually scholarships starting rolling in and it seemed like I STILL had everyone outside of my best friends or family making up reasons why I’ll never do this or that. I’ve been playing this game my whole life, people telling me what I can’t do and me proving them wrong. It was the same game when I got to college, people telling you that you can’t do this or that, that I’m too white or too slow or too small or not smart enough. Everyday I wake up and I feel like I have something to prove. Tomorrow represents a lot in my life – represents yet another opportunity to prove my supporters right, my naysayers wrong, and confirm that our preparation was successful. Tomorrow represents the stuff I often pray for before falling asleep. I don’t know the outcome or how I’ll do, but I’m eager as hell to get after Hawaii with the boys.”