My Lumberjack Life: Terrance Wair
7/30/2021 11:51:00 AM | Football
Playing football at SFA is definitely something that has impacted my life. As a freshman in 2019, I came as a walk-on to the team. I arrived right before fall camp started and knew no one besides the coaching staff. With this status, I had to earn the trust from the coaching staff as well as the players who I would be on the field with.
After that season, the pandemic hit and it definitely had a huge impact on the team. Despite this, the team was able to continue to grow closer because of the goal we all had in mind. I was really able to see growth from the freshman in my class as well as in myself. Right before the start of the 2020 season, I was able to earn a scholarship and it was the best feeling that a walk-on could experience.
A lot of people don't know the struggle that non-scholarship athletes go through. You are committing to paying for your own housing, meals, school, and are expected to be able to learn a playbook and workout with the team. Some athletes aren't financially supported by their parents, so that's also something to throw on top of it. Despite the hardships, I was able persevere through it, and the hard work paid off. My mindset is what really helped me push through it. I wanted to give it everything I had so that when I looked back, I didn't have any regrets.
Even though it was hard, there were many relationships that I created that also helped me push through it. My coach played a big role in that because of expectations he had for me, and the constant reminder of the position I was in. Building relationships within the locker room also helped ease the stress of the walk-on lifestyle. Many people of the team were in my same position, but no one ever felt "excluded" from everyone else. We all knew that we had something bigger in store for ourselves as well as the team and had a desire to work hard.
The football team and the entire community at SFA is a family. It has open arms, and I would be surprised if the thought of exclusion has crossed anyone's mind. As I continue to pursue my own challenges such as my medical degree as well as football challenges, I encourage everyone to find something they also love and pursue it. Don't let any obstacles stand in your way.
After that season, the pandemic hit and it definitely had a huge impact on the team. Despite this, the team was able to continue to grow closer because of the goal we all had in mind. I was really able to see growth from the freshman in my class as well as in myself. Right before the start of the 2020 season, I was able to earn a scholarship and it was the best feeling that a walk-on could experience.
A lot of people don't know the struggle that non-scholarship athletes go through. You are committing to paying for your own housing, meals, school, and are expected to be able to learn a playbook and workout with the team. Some athletes aren't financially supported by their parents, so that's also something to throw on top of it. Despite the hardships, I was able persevere through it, and the hard work paid off. My mindset is what really helped me push through it. I wanted to give it everything I had so that when I looked back, I didn't have any regrets.
Even though it was hard, there were many relationships that I created that also helped me push through it. My coach played a big role in that because of expectations he had for me, and the constant reminder of the position I was in. Building relationships within the locker room also helped ease the stress of the walk-on lifestyle. Many people of the team were in my same position, but no one ever felt "excluded" from everyone else. We all knew that we had something bigger in store for ourselves as well as the team and had a desire to work hard.
The football team and the entire community at SFA is a family. It has open arms, and I would be surprised if the thought of exclusion has crossed anyone's mind. As I continue to pursue my own challenges such as my medical degree as well as football challenges, I encourage everyone to find something they also love and pursue it. Don't let any obstacles stand in your way.
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