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With football season kicking off, I can’t help but think back on my own journey.
Friday night lights ...
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Saturday afternoon games playing for Baylor (even when we started at noon, my pregame meal was spaghetti and meat sauce – so much that I still can’t eat it today!) …
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And of course, nothing tops Sundays in the NFL. I spent my childhood rooting for the Cowboys after church every week, and I went on to play against them as a Tennessee Titan.
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Ironically, my mom didn't really want me playing football. She was a baseball fan. One of my earliest childhood memories is her taking me to watch her favorite player, Nolan Ryan, pitch a complete game. After that, my dream was to play center field for the Texas Rangers.
Nolan Ryan is a Texas legend, and I was a huge fan – I even wore #34 on my jersey all through high school and college in honor of him. He had this mentality that’s always stuck with me where he would throw the ball as hard as he could and see if they could hit it. It reminds me that we can’t always control the outcome – but we can control how hard we work to get where we need to go.
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I loved baseball, but eventually caught up with me, and coaches pushed me toward football. I took to it right away. Pretty soon, it wasn’t just a game – it was a stepping stone to the life I wanted.
Growing up with a single mom on a teacher’s salary, I never would’ve been able to afford college. But thanks to her, my teachers, coaches, and the incredible support I got at our local YMCA, I was able to earn a full scholarship to Baylor.
To be honest, I thought the football part of my journey would end there – and I was fine with that. I was all set to go to law school … but then the NFL came calling.
A couple of agents convinced me I had a good chance of getting drafted. I thought this would be a great way to pay for law school and maybe even buy my mom the house she’d been renting for 20 years.
So, I gave it a shot. After graduating, I drove to Houston, trained nonstop, was at the top of my game and when the time came … I didn’t get drafted.
I was expecting to be picked up on day one, but on day two, I was jumping up every time the phone rang. Each time it was only a friend asking if I’d gotten the call yet. Nope, buddy, not yet.
That summer was tough. But I didn’t quit. I packed up my stuff, moved back to Dallas, and got a job at the local YMCA – not as a trainer like I hoped, but sweeping floors and maintaining the weight room. I kept training.
When the Tennessee Titans came knocking with a second chance, I took it. I hopped in the car and drove farther than I’d ever been from Texas. I knew that with the values my mom instilled in me – work hard, be respectful and kind, and take every opportunity that’s given to you – I’d be all right.
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I kept putting in the work and went on to play five seasons with the Titans – and without it, I’m not sure how I would've been able to afford law school. Best of all though, I was able to buy my mom that house.
But the truth is, you shouldn’t have to have a son playing in the NFL to own a home.
That’s why, after I hung up my cleats, finally went to law school, and became a civil rights lawyer, I decided to run for Congress to represent the community that raised me.
Because our system is broken. Texans are working harder than ever with less to show for it. And career politicians like Ken Paxton and John Cornyn are only making things worse. We need leaders who are ready to speak truth to power and fight for our families – and that’s the kind of leader I want to be in the Senate.
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Last year, my campaign outran the presidential ticket by 200,000 votes. So just like with my football career, I’m not giving up after one loss. Instead, I’m going to work harder than I ever have before to reach Texans, fight for the future we deserve, and win this race.
Because our state’s future and our kids’ futures are simply too important not to try. I’ll never give up on Texas, and I hope you won’t either. We can win this race, but only with a massive grassroots effort, and I want to thank you for being a part of it.
If you have friends who you think would be interested in joining this team or hearing my story, I hope you’ll share this post.
And if you’re ready to send a fighter to the Senate to represent Texas, I hope you’ll chip in a few bucks to my campaign.
Until next time – and in the meantime, go Cowboys!
Colin
Paid for by Allred for Texas
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