I grew up in Redding and went to Shasta High School, where I played baseball, basketball, and football. After high school I wanted to keep playing football, get an education, and earn a scholarship to a university, so I chose to go to Shasta College because they had a great football program.
At Shasta College, I played two seasons and played in two bowl games. I have a great memory of a game we played, where we scored 73 to 71. It was the highest-scoring junior college football game at the time! We ended up winning that game in triple overtime, and I had nine touchdowns in that game.
Coaches Thompson, Donahue, and Hamilton, along with a bunch of great guys I played with at Shasta College, really helped me develop as a football player. Coming out here playing under Coach Hamilton’s offense, I really got to learn the passing game. So, I owe a lot to them in my development as a player.
Many of the guys I played with stopped playing after high school, but Shasta College allowed me to live out my dream. I went on to play for Sacramento State, where I graduated, before spending a little time in the 49ers’ training camp and af2. I ended up playing in the Canadian Football League for 16 years.
Without Shasta giving me the opportunity to keep playing football, I never would have had the career, the wins and championship games, and all the great memories.
My advice to anybody who wants to pursue something is to keep going. That’s what worked for me. I took advantage of the opportunity to come play out here, and that got me into Sacramento State, which got me into professional football. I really appreciate my time here!