High school wasn't exactly the best time for Raymond Brown. When his 10th grade year kicked off with domestic problems and family strife, he was forced to move out of his house for his own well-being.

"Those were less than ideal living conditions," he explains. "Domestic problems, broken-down doors, walls with holes -- I just knew I had to get out."

Raymond bounced around, living wherever he could -- oftentimes staying with family members or simply crashing with friends. The instability took a toll on the once-honor roll student's grades.

"I still wanted to do well in school, but the drama I was experiencing at home was making it impossible to focus," he explains. "My GPA had always been 3.5 or above, and everybody had high hopes for me. Going to college was a dream I had all my life."

Despite his slipping grades and general instability, Raymond wasn't ready to let the dream die. "I was wearing the same clothes every day, and I couldn't have the freshest new shoes," he says. "But I couldn't let my situation hold me down."

As it turned out, athletics would be Raymond's saving grace. An overlooked talent on the football team for his first three years, he realized that shining during his senior year was his only shot at the collegiate life of which he dreamed. He teamed up with The Athletic Group (TAG), an agency that helps market student-athletes to college recruiters, and made sacrifices on the field.

"I went to football camps, worked hard to make the best of my ability, and even played positions I didn't want to play," he says. "I had to get noticed any way I could."

Raymond's burst of energy in the "fourth quarter" of high school proved successful, as he landed a full scholarship to James Madison University (Harrisburg, VA), where he is excelling academically and aspires to be a nurse. "College has been the best time of my life," he says.

>> For more info on TAG, visit www.theathleticgroup.com.

Sound Off! Post Your Comments