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Texas A&M Football

Caleb Russell: Faith, family and conviction

September 1, 2011
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First and foremost, I just want to say that Caleb Russell was not only an incredible interview, but he is also a truly incredible individual. He was completely honest, heartfelt, and detailed when it came to telling his background, his rise to scholarship status and so much more. This video might seem dauntingly long, but I promise every minute is worth listening to.

This is a very small portion of his explanations, but here at least is a brief synopsis of his responses.

*** It wasn't mentioned on video, but he will be wearing the 12th Man jersey for the SMU game on Sunday.



On receiving his scholarship…
* Called into Coach Sherman’s office after the team meeting on Monday and started thinking wearing the 12th Man jersey was not going to be an option while also starting the game. 
* Sitting down, told almost immediately by Sherman that he is proud of the hard work and a scholarship is the news. Turned into a huge hug. Called parents, all very excited, and later the girlfriend.
* Not going to slack off just because of the scholarship, going to keep pursuing the team and individual goals.
* All the blessing and glory to God.

Andrew Kilzer, TexAgs Sherman made all possible accommodations for Russell after his grandmother's death and later awarded him a scholarship. {"Module":"photo","Alignment":"right","Size":"large","Caption":"Sherman made all possible accommodations for Russell after his grandmother\u0027s death and later awarded him a scholarship.","MediaItemID":2841}
On his close-knit family…
*** Coach Toth makes a cameo
* Three brothers, one older and two younger. 
* Older brother walked on at A&M.

On his high school recruiting experience…
* Unsure of how to work the recruiting process at first.
* High school coach not much of a help — little experience handling recruiting.
* Offers from Air Force, New Mexico, Louisiana Monroe, SMU, and Louisiana Lafayette, but UNM, La-Lafayette and SMU rescinded their offers.
* Decided to commit to Air Force on visit. 
* Change of heart just before signing with Air Force; felt the Lord was pulling toward Texas A&M to be a walk-on.
Quote: “When someone says I can’t do something, it lights a fire in me, and I’m going to show them I can do anything.”

On paying his way through college…
* Received money from grandmother and small scholarships from home but did struggle to make ends meet.
* The Lord always provides, and receiving the scholarship was a complete blessing and all the glory goes to God.

On all the emotions surrounding the Baylor game and his grandmother's passing…
* Unsure on whether to play or go home to be with family; Sherman was extremely understanding and empathetic.
* Knew that grandmother was watching from Heaven and would want to see him play and play well.
* The sack on Robert Griffin III will forever be in memory. It was a testament to the love felt for the grandmother.
 
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