It was eighth grade; one slant can change my whole season. I run two yards, cut at a 45-degree angle and look for the ball. A perfect spiral hurls towards me as I put my hands out. I catch these all the time and I never drop a pass.

I stretch my hands as the ball makes contact. I look up trying to guide myself up field, but I did this too soon. Before I can bring my hands back, the ball hits the ground. I clap my hands in anger; I hear the words come from Donaven Sims. “Off the field, Lowe.”

I come to him after the play. “My bad coach, I should’ve caught that one.” Sims looks at me. “That was your shot Lowe, you only get one.”

I have yet to get that shot again.

I had to take on a whole different position and start over again. Defense is not my passion like receiver was. I have never had to take on a 180-pound running back, absorb his power and bring him to the ground. I was always used to catching the ball, maneuvering through the defense without getting touched and avoiding contact if I could. This transition is like breaking your legs and coming back from rehab; it’s slow and hard to get back where you were most comfortable.

My first year at safety was not as bad as I thought it would be. I had two interceptions and 20 or so tackles. Although I had an all right season, I wanted more. I looked at all my negatives instead of positives. I missed countless tackles, blew multiple coverages and didn’t start for junior varsity.

That’s all I ever look at the negatives.

This is my motivation. I have always been the underdog. I have always been the one that everyone doubted. I can’t lie; I hate being the underdog. I like all the attention from being the best, people motivating me and looking up to me. I am not to that point right now. I have to use the cards that I dealt myself.

These cards bring me up and bring me down. All I can do is work as hard as I can and have no regrets. That is all anybody can really do. Work hard for something you want or believe in, something you cherish and something that you want more than anything in the world. If you sit around and wait on something to happen, nothing ever will.