Diva or Determined?
This is an age old question for football players. A sport built on one and one match ups where confidence in your abilities is key to your ability to perform on the field. Yet we have heard time and again about “Diva” Receivers, calling for more targets or running backs telling teams they want to be fed. The question is, when does it become too much?
Perception is Everything In Football
This is one thing that perception can skew based on a coach’s personal affinity for a player. If you’re beloved by your coaching staff, no matter how much you beg for the ball, or come off as cocky it’ll be dismissed as the winner in you coming out.
However the contrary is also true. If your coach is not the biggest fan of you as a person or maybe has his guys he brought in, your confidence can be turned back on you. Coaches are quick to criticize a player that takes plays off, but seemingly even quicker to discipline those that give it their all but are outspoken about their role.
Never has this been more true than in the story of Shacor Hamilton. Despite not playing for a big name school, and ultimately pursuing a football career after dropping out of a JUCO program, somehow Hamilton found his way on a roster, then another roster and then another roster.
At Home on the Field
Soon it became clear to teammates, and outsiders alike, Hamilton belonged on the football field. The speedster standing 5’9 175 lbs, has shown he can dominate when given the chance to.
Arriving with the AWFC’s Oregon High Desert Storm, Hamilton saw an opportunity, but found broken promises instead. Left without a coach or housing arrangements Hamilton found himself in a situation that was far from what he had hoped.
But with any situation comes a choice. Will you let this test defeat you? Or will you make the most of the opportunity at hand even if it wasn’t ideal? Shacor to his credit chose option two despite a new staff.
His confidence was at an all time high when he managed a career stretch in which he had 11 receptions, 130 yards, 1 touchdown, adding 60 yards on special teams. Remember that line about perception?
Perception Strikes
Well perception here fell on the wrong side of the fence. This led to Hamilton’s confidence coming off the best two game stretch of his pro career, being misconstrued. In most situations cockiness would not be enough to release a player. However, the new staff feeling no attachment to the players currently on the roster ultimately made the shocking decision to release Hamilton.
Left without a contract and a stain on his reputation for the very thing that’s expected of athletes, confidence, Hamilton was forced to turn his attention to other avenues.
One Obstacle After the Next
The thing is, Hamilton was already overcoming the small scale bias, The players face coming from the JUCO level, now with a false dig at his character Hamilton will now have to prove what his friends, men like USFL QB Bryan Scott, or WR Treydonte Hill already know. Shacor is not a cocky man, he is in fact a man forced to believe in himself when the football world outside of his teammates hasn’t.
If you can fault him for that, then the problem isn’t with Shacor Hamilton. The problem is in your perception of his actions and a lack of knowledge surrounding the challenges he has faced and overcome on a nearly yearly basis.
Shacor Hamilton; Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop
With these situations in the rear view, Hamilton turns his attention to trying to earn a roster spot in the XFL or MLFB. Trying to make a triumphant return to the outdoor game he loves so much. The only question remaining now, is what obstacle Shacor will overcome next.
