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Experience not necessary, training provided.
In today’s world of regimented organized youth sports, kids start at an early age, sometimes as young as 5 or 6, and spend the next dozen years perfecting their skills in one specialty.
Parents, often not quietly or objectively, urge them on with the dreams of an athletic college scholarship at least somewhere in the back of their minds. The more years they play, the better the chances, at least that’s the hope.
Then there’s a recently laid-off father of four children, who had given college a try about a decade ago, who now at the age of 31 is the starting right guard on the American International College football team in a sport he never formally played.
Collin James, originally from Jamaica, arrived in Springfield in 1993, attended the High School of Commerce and played three sports there, none of them football. From 1997-99, he was a secondary education major at Western New England when the working world beckoned.
He worked at a security screening job at Bradley Airport, then moved on to Hasbro for four years, but was laid off. His biggest break came quickly when his wife immediately landed a new job as a police dispatcher. Now he could pursue further schooling as a business management major at AIC.
Three years ago, AIC’s talented wide receiver
Travis Poole saw James playing in a touch football game, something many of us less talented would try while limiting our venues to quiet side streets.
Poole was impressed, and suggested to James that he try out for the team, his 6-foot-5, 295-pound frame quite an attribute.
“I was playing the same position in touch football that I am now,” James said before Friday’s practice.
James was concerned about tuition money and didn’t see how he could keep his schooling going without some financial help.
When he asked coach
Art Wilkins about it, the longtime AIC leader didn’t rule it out, despite James’s age and lack of experience. But he would have to earn it.
And we’re told that this isn’t the first time that the likable Wilkins has given an underdog a chance – that there are countless unspoken stories of his help that people simply don’t know about.
Wilkins’ encouragement was all the motivation James needed. He redshirted the 2007 season as it would take a year just to learn the position, and how it’s played in tackle rather than touch.
He enrolled for the spring semester and worked out with the team. “It was tough at first; they spent a lot of time with me watching plays,” James said. “The first game I played in, I was nervous. It was the first time I had to play an entire game. But after the first series, I knew I was able to do this.”
James played four games last year, but has started every game this season – except last Saturday, when he was out with a minor injury.
He is the proud father of Collin Jr. 8; Tayzohn 7; Davion 4; and his only daughter Anjaleah 2. Unlike Collin Sr., the older boys are already getting into football, with Collin Jr. also helping out as a Yellow Jackets water boy.