Let me Introduce You to Our Other "Son", Letroy Guion

This is our unofficial son, Letroy. He has been part of the family for just over 4 years. Oh, he's also an awesome football player who will be in the NFL draft this upcoming Saturday and is in the top 100 projected picks. Let me tell you his story.

Letroy was always a big kid. He had trouble being still in elementary school and his learning was affected. He was then "labeled" and placed in all special education classes. His mom, knowing that sports would be a good thing for him to become involved in was disappointed to find out that he was too big to play team sports in elementary and middle school. He didn't start playing football until 8th grade. He was a natural. Unfortunately, he wasn't a natural in the classroom and pretty much no one did anything about it. His mom, his biggest supporter and cheerleader, did not know how to get him the help he needed through public school and could not afford anything outside of school. She fought for him every year but nobody listened. Fast forward to the middle of his junior year in high school. My husband was the remedial high school math and reading teacher and I was the school's reading coach. My husband always remarked that Letroy had potential, a great attitude and wanted to learn and do better. This was highly unusual in these classes, as these kids had been "failures" at school for at least 10 years. Most of them were marking the days until they could quit school. But not Letroy.

Letroy first approached me in April of his junior year, which was 5 years ago this month. He came by my office and bluntly said, "I heard you can teach people to read. Can you teach me?" That's where it all began. I talked to his coach and found out that he could possibly be offered a Division I scholarship for football if he could get his grades up. I pulled his transcript and was horrified at what I saw! Bad grades and low level classes. I knew that couldn't add up to a scholarship.

I contacted the NCAA Clearinghouse to find out exactly what Letroy needed to do to be eligible for a scholarship. It was not good news so I sat down with him and his mom and discussed my findings. We figured every possible way he could get qualified but everyone of them seemed impossible. He basically needed to take 11 courses his senior year, be on the honor roll, and score a good number on the ACT/SAT. He told me he would do whatever it took. And I believed him.

Letroy worked day and night his senior year. He took 6 classes at school, 3 classes online, and 2 classes at our vocational school on a computer. His mom quit her job so that she could be involved with his schooling and footballing 24/7. They struggled very much financially. His dad worked 70 and 80 hour weeks to provide for his wife, Letroy, and the other 5 kids at home.

I wish I could say that it was easy. It was not. He didn't make honor roll and actually had to drop a few classes because it was all too much for him. He spent Saturdays and Sundays at our home with my husband helping him with math and science and me teaching him test-taking strategies and reading comprehension strategies. I don't regret one minute of it! Oh, and let me just say that Letroy didn't have the support of many of the people at our school, including some administrators. I have no idea why. Letroy has no enemies and has the biggest heart of anyone I know. (Like a few weeks ago when he came by my 5th grade classroom and signed 80+ autographs for all the 5th graders.) They just didn't want to see him succeed.

Fast forward again to the summer after he graduated (with a regular diploma, I might add). He was still enrolled in summer school online classes and was within a hair of qualifying for his scholarship which had been offered to him by Florida State University. They believed in him, too! He finished his summer classes on a Wednesday, signed his scholarship on Saturday, and left for Tallahassee on Sunday.

He was #93 for the Noles for three years, while earning the respect of his coaches, teammates, and fellow students. Letroy spent a couple hours in class, a couple of hours practicing and working out, and a couple of hours being tutored. He didn't skip classes and he didn't skip tutoring. He always knew he could do it. And so did we.

He decided to forgo his senior year at FSU and I don't blame him one bit. His family has struggled financially for a long time and his mom's health is not so good these days. He has the chance to make big money in the NFL and I told him he can always go back and finish his degree. I don't think badly of any talented athlete for jumping to the professional level. It is their choice to make. I know that Letroy is doing it for his family.

So next Saturday will be a life-changing day for Letroy. One that he always knew he would see. And we did too. Because anyone who really knows Troy knows that once he has a dream and a vision he won't stop until he makes it. Whatever team gets him next weekend is a lucky team indeed.

Best of Luck, Letroy. No matter what happens you can know that Mr. Hopkins, the kids, and I love you and are sooooo proud of you. Go gettem Big Guy!

You can read more about Letroy here.