Adversity

Today, the @Colts honor the life of @Edwinjackson53 nearly eight months after he passed.

His brother told the story that Edwin never had the chance to. https://t.co/gcXapVqloV pic.twitter.com/XEHf41OtNF

— The Players' Tribune (@PlayersTribune) September 30, 2018

"After Edwin’s freshman year, he started to feel the pressures that go along with being a walk-on, and he called me to get my thoughts on whether he should quit the team. I knew Edwin only needed the opportunity to show his talent and skill on the field, but he first would need to get the coaches to see him in a different light. He and I mapped out a plan that would give Edwin the best chance to be successful. We decided that he needed to do everything in his power to earn the coaches’ trust and receive playing time, so that he wouldn’t have any regrets. The plan was that Edwin would: be first in line for every drill in practice; be extremely loud, talkative and motivating with his teammates on the field and in the weight room; build relationships with his coaches by scheduling meetings with them and making sure they knew his goals; and treat every play as if it was the most important football play in the world, even if the coaches only put him in for one play a game. I told him to always remember that, as our dad often reminded us, “Somebody’s always watching you.” Edwin agreed to follow the plan and give it his all."