More than ever, companies are looking to hire college athletes because of the fire they bring to the culture of the company or organization. Zac Fagan is a young man who utilized the National Collegiate Scouting Association to connect with $18,000 a year in academic scholarship money to play football in college. It wasn’t easy though. Back in September of 2009, Zac could have given up on his dream to be a college football player, but his persistence and the inspiration of his younger sister gave him the strength to overcome the unexpected adversity of his 12th grade season. Zac told me this story:
“Mr. Adams, I had been playing quarterback for five years. I trained year round and was totally dedicated to my game. My senior year finally came. This would be my year and all the hard work would pay off. I was elected Team Captain and our team at T. C. Roberson High in Asheville, North Carolina had really pulled together on and off the field.
We had a scrimmage game right before the season and we lost. The next practice my Coach let me know that he was changing our complete offense and putting in our star running back as quarterback. I was crushed. Now my confidence was shook to the core, I would not have the opportunity to compete for my position. I was still Captain, so I did everything to help the team. I tried any other position the coach would give me (I think I did everything but kick the ball). It looked like my dream of being a college football player was over.
I went eight games without playing quarterback. In November, I won my position back before the final game of the regular season. We had to win the game to make the playoffs. In the game I was able to throw for two touchdowns and run for another. One of the touchdown passes was in overtime to set up the winning two point conversion. It was the best game I ever played in my life!!
However, earlier that day my sister Meryl was admitted into the Hospital. She had battled a life long illness known as Rett Syndrome. It is a neurodevelopmental disease where in her case she had seizures and could not talk. She was in the PEP program at School, which is Progressive Education Program. Each day I was able to spend 90 minutes as a PEP mentor. (photo below of my sister and me).
She was hospitalized for pneumonia just before my game that day and was in critical condition. My family chose not to tell me then. That night, right after the great game, they told me about her being in the Hospital. I went from being really excited to being completely devastated in one second. I literally fell down on my knees on the field.
Saturday she seemed okay, but got worse. My sister died on Monday. She was just 18. The Doctors had diagnosed her with Rett Syndrome when she was 13 and told us to make funeral plans then, but she lived five more years.
When I was going through that hard time where I had lost my starting quarterback job, I would come home from practice where it was a crappy day and I would see her in her wheelchair. She couldn’t talk. She couldn’t move much. You could tell what she was trying to say by her eyes. I would come home worn down from how my senior year was going and that it didn’t look like there was any way I would be seen by College football coaches, and see her and say to myself, ‘I can handle my challenge. I can do this.’ When Meryl died, I made a promise that I would go on for my dreams and live life with passion!
I would not give up on the dream of playing college football. I was able to get game film of that game I played in and got the help of NCSA, the National Collegiate Scouting Association. We rushed it to NCSA and they edited it for me. They posted it and I had also introduced it to other coaches in emails.
To my surprise, Coaches started contacting me. I was getting calls and emails from colleges. I hadn’t played until the last game, and yet it was enough for them to see I had talent. They were schools with my major and football.
I ended up visiting a college that I had never heard of before in the neighboring state of Virginia, only five hours from home - Bridgewater College in Virginia. This was a match on the site, I had an instant connection with the coach that had contacted me, and it seemed to have everything I was looking for. It was the perfect match, I felt right at home with their people and philosophies. I loved that it was a small campus with a very personal environment. Everyone knew each other, which is what I like. Thanks to NCSA, I had learned how to meet with Financial Aid and set up for merit based scholarships. My hard work in the classroom helped. I had a 4.3 GPA with 10 honors classes. The Coaches were able to nominate me for merit based scholarships. The fact that I had taken hard classes really helped as I was offered a $18,250 yearly scholarship. That doesn’t cover everything, but it makes it manageable for us as a family.
Mr. Adams, I am thrilled to say that my college choice was made clear. I will be a Bridgewater College Eagle. A lot of kids get caught up in wanting to play Division One, major college sports. Those guys are huge and fast. I could walk-on but that probably wouldn’t work out. I love the game of football. I want to play it. It’s not about the level. It’s about the game and the fans. I will be competing for the quarterback position, dedicated to their program, studying Athletic Training - pre Physical Therapy and enjoying all that this special college has to offer.”
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Zac isn’t done. He works part time at Marco’s Pizzeria and has organized a big fund raising day on Valentines where Marco’s is donating a significant amount of all revenues that day to go to the
Progressive Education Program in their county, which serves students with moderate to significant intellectual difficulties.
Zac and the QB from Asheville High (T C Roberson’s biggest rival) have become friends as they both have relatives that have battled or are battling serious illness. They are now planning a basketball tournament where the funds will be split between cancer research and International Rett Syndrome Association. They both wore #9.
We hear so much negative news these days. It is so refreshing to know there are great young people out there like Zac!
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If you would like me to set up an evaluation for your son or daughter regarding College Athletics possibilities, email me a paragraph summary of their athletics and academics accomplishments to this point, and what you feel is their commitment to wanting to play the sport they love at the College level.