How diamonds are made

Some of you may have heard of me but very few of you truly know me. This is why I would like to thank Yardbarker for giving me this opportunity to speak my mind. I never thought I would be a blogger but I am excited and think this experience is going to be fun.

The experience that I have had in the last 5 years as a professional football player has provided me a limitless archive of topics perfect for blogging. I could certainly write a novel about my first year experience as an Atlanta Falcon. Despite the grueling training camps, exhausting workouts, tedious film sessions, painful losses, I would not trade this experience.

My football career is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to who I really am and what I am about. Let's face it; we live in a world of stereotypes based on race, class, gender, occupation etc. There is nothing that infuriates me more than someone who assumes I am one-dimensional because I am an African American who plays a professional sport. Most people assume that I have a huge ego, spoiled, selfish, have several baby momma's (I am currently without children), business illiterate or barely educated. I know that these stereotypes do not apply to most of my friends in the league and certainly do not apply to me.

People are consistently surprised when I tell them that although I am proud of what I have accomplished in the NFL it is just one of the many goals that I have for myself. I am well aware that the NFL stands for Not for Long and because of that I have been very adamant about preparing my self for life after football TODAY. All professional guys hear the horror stories of guys who were raking in millions and in as little as 9 to 12 months after retirement have to file bankruptcy and move back into their parents' home.

For those of you who don't know my parents, moving back in with them is not an option. My parents were both immigrants from Nigeria who came to America with very little money but extremely big goals and ambitions. With the combination of sacrifice, determination, and hard work they both graduated from college and now my father is an enormously accomplished OB/GYN and my mother has a masters in business and accounting and manages every aspect of my father's 3 private practices.

I say all this to elucidate that if they can accomplish this with what little resources that was available to them. Then I will be damned if I don't become the president of the United States with the head start that I had growing up in the U.S.A. (not trying to be the president people just using a example that our generation should are resources to the utmost opportunity)

I could go on all day Yardbarker but I will end with this; Failure is not nor has it ever been an option and neither is mediocrity. I know it is a lot of pressure to put on myself. However I am a firm believer that pressure brings out the best in people. How do u think diamonds are made?