From the hardships of Baltimore to the NFL. Hearing a story like Darius Jennings's is not common. Usually, most black and brown individuals do not get the chance to make it out of their neighborhoods, but that was not an option for him. Very few people get the opportunity to even dream of even leaving Baltimore. Once Darius Jennings got his shot, he took it and ran with it. After seeing the lasting negative effect the city of Baltimore had on people like him, Jennings knew he had to find a way out. Jennings was fortunate to get the chance to attend Gilman School from second to twelve grade. While at Gilman, Jennings honed in on his football skills as it has proven to be the best thing he did. Darius Jennings became one of the best players in the state of Maryland. He was about to mount an impressive list of full-ride scholarships to play division 1 college football. Jennings chose to further his educational and playing career at The University of Virginia. At the conclusion of his collegiate playing career, he decided to give the NFL a shot, and in 2015, Jennings signed with the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent. After six years in the NFL, Jennings returned to Baltimore and joined the corporate world. He is also heavily invested in a couple of non-profit organizations in the city, trying to impact the lives of young individuals positively.

The Transfer portal is here to stay. It has changed the entire landscape of college football. Since it was introduced to college athletics in 2018, there have been a lot of student-athletes in and out of the portal in search of a second chance. There has been a to of pushback from coaches, universities, and fans. They claim that the portal is affecting the student-athletes chances of graduating. Student-athletes want an opportunity to play football in hopes of living out their childhood dreams of playing in the pros. Coaches could always leave a school searching for a better opportunity to further their careers. The portal allows athletes the same chance to leave in search of better. The portal allows players to leave just as much as a coach can leave a school. We have seen several close games and upsets, and that trend will keep happening because the talent gap between schools and conferences is closing thanks to the transfer portal.

From a young age, Diae El Jardi fell in love with tennis. Much like Richard Williams, the father of tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams, Diae's father taught her how to play tennis in her home country of Morocco. Diae started making strides in tennis rather quickly. She was homeschooled, which gave her enough time to practice and work on her craft. At the age of 12, she started representing her country in multiple tournaments: Arab and  African championships as well as Junior World Cups and Fed Cups. Making it to those tournaments wasnt enough for Diae; she wanted to win it all, and she did. At the age of 17, Diae attended the African Championship, which was being hosted in her home country. While at the championship, Diae put on a show and didn't disappoint those who came to watch her. She went on to win singles, doubles, and teams. When asked about it, she said winning the championship in her own country was one of the best feelings in the world. While her success was great on the tennis courts, Diae knew that she needed to have a plan for when tennis was done. She had a chance to leave Morocco and move to the states to attend Rice university and play collegiate tennis. From the day she stepped off on the courts at Rice, she picked up right where she left. She was now multiple Conference USA honors. Her best accomplishment in college tennis to date is making it to the NCAA All-American tennis tournament, where she would be competing in women's doubles. Diae El Jardi and an determined to be the best version of herself whenever she steps onto the courts. Diae is one of those stories you would want to follow!

Make sure you cheer Diae on at the All-American tournament!

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For Isaiah Pryor, hating football was not an option considering his father was an all-American football player at Iowa. I think it's safe to say that sticking with football was one of Isaiah's best decisions. Through football, he was able to get his undergraduate degree from Ohio State and his masters from the University of Notre Dame. As a graduate of both Ohio State and Notre Dame, Isaiah is at a crossroads when it comes to deciding which team to cheer for. Notre Dame and Ohio State opened the 2022 football season playing each other, and despite wanting Notre Dame to win, Isaiah thinks they won't stand a chance against the Buckeyes. I guess only time will tell if Isaish's thinking is right. After his time at Notre Dame, Isaiah Pryor got the opportunity to live out his dream of playing in the NFL. Pryor was an undrafted free agent following the 2022 NFL draft, and he later signed with the Saints. Shortly after becoming an NFL player, Pryor took another step forward in his life by marrying his best friend. Isaiah is definitely someone you would want to follow because he has a bright future ahead of him.

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The path to college football for Rice's safety George Nyakwol was not easy. His family had to leave their home country of South Sudan because of an ongoing civil war. George's family went from Egypt, where his older sisters were born, to Lebanon, where he was born, and finally, they made their way to Houston, Texas, where his younger brother was born. For George, football was just a dream until she saw a future in it. It's important to know that football didn't come easily to him. Growing up, he played soccer and basketball and ran track. He fell in love with soccer and track and saw a future in them. It's safe to say those sports are no longer in his future. As he grew older, he fell in love with football and pursued it until he reached the division 1 level. Now that George is a veteran college football player for the Rice University Owls, his sights are set on making it to the next level, the NFL. George sees the NFL as a platform to help him reach multiple goals. He first wants to ensure his family is taken care of, but ultimately, he wants to give back. He wants to ensure that kids in Africa are taken care of and know they can make it to the NFL if they work hard and follow their dreams. George and his family have beaten the odds to be where they are today. It's safe to say the future of George Nyakwol is very bright.

Avery Davis went from being an All-American and an elite 11 quarterback in high school to a scout team defensive back at the University of Notre Dame. While at Notre Dame, Avery had four position changes: quarterback, running back, receiver, and defensive back. Avery was finally able to find a home as a receiver. Avery slowly regained his confidence and was having a good season, even catching the much-needed game-tying touchdown pass en route to Notre Dame's double-OT win against Clemson. Just when things were finally looking up for Avery, he faced another set of challenges. He tore his ACL on a noncontact play, ending his season and leaving him wondering if he even wanted to play football again. Luckily he decided to come back for one more season as a golden doomer. Avery had always believed in himself even when nobody else did, and his never quit mindset is his most vital asset. Avey has a new look at life and is doing all he can to become one of the best players in Notre Dame football's history. Avery is the definition of perseverance. He went from an uncertain career to a captain, and all he wants is to play football and to be remembered not only for his abilities on the field but for his ability as a leader and a role model.

Make sure you watch Avery Davis make plays this year for ND football.

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For Shayne Simon, football is a way of life. As a kid, he looked up to one of the greatest running backs and pro football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson. While in high school, Shayne was blessed to share the field with eventual college and NFL players who pushed him every day to strive for greatness. At the end of his high school playing career, Shayne decided to attend the Univerity of Notre Dame. While at Notre Dame, Shayne became a leader on the team, and just when things were up, injury struck and sidelined him for his senior year. Shayne's leadership was evident when he decided not to let his injury keep him away from supporting his brothers on the field. He helped coach the linebackers until the very end of the season. Shayne decided to enter the transfer portal in the midst of Notre Dame's coaching drama. After what felt like a lifetime in the portal, Shayne decided to attend Pitt but not until after he got the all-important piece of paper from Notre Dame...his degree!

Make sure you watch Shayne make plays for Pitt this year and follow him on IG at https://www.instagram.com/shayne.simon/

Remember always to be great!

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