(S16) - PT2 - College Years

[plantane]

College was rough for Xerxes Ridley on almost all fronts. Being his first time living away from his mother and living outside of California, the period of adjustment was very hard on him. He was forced to learn how to take care of himself in a completely foreign place while also having more responsibility on his shoulders with the football team than he ever had before. As a star receiver in high school turned into a mediocre player in college, Ridley struggled to figure out what he needed to do to improve his game. While learning about the culture and climate of Atlanta, Ridley also had to learn about the nuances of college life and college football. Having to manage his time on his own between studying, practicing, and living was hard for Ridley and it led to him overworking himself even now in his adulthood. Ridley had entirely unimpressive scrimmages and practices as a wide receiver up until the fateful day when his couch decided to try him out as a defensive back. From that moment on, Ridley realized that he had a mind for defense and much preferred chasing after the ball to leading a route for it. With his newfound confidence, he was able to translate his positivity into the classroom and maintained good grades in his harder upper-division classes. Overall, even though he had a rough start, Ridley was able to finish his university degree with the football and academic pedigree that he was looking for from the beginning.