Leandre Washington: Living the Dream
October 13, 2003 01:43 PM | General
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October 11, 2003
Langston Hughes put it best when he said "Hold on to dreams for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly."
Dreams are what make life worth living. They are what we cling to in the face of disappointment and with the possibility of success. Just ask WVU spur safety Leandre Washington. If it were not for his dreams and aspirations, Washington would only be another face in the crowd.
Born in 1981, Washington was raised by his mother Wanda and by the sandy beaches and humid nights that call Florida home. He was prepped for success by the loving hand of his mother and learned self-confidence at a young age. But he also learned the harder lessons in life, and how to overcome the obstacles that life holds. Though Key West can seem almost serene, to Washington it also holds a lot of pain and memories.
His parents divorced while Washington was a young boy, leaving him to live a life with his mother and an occasional one with his father. However, he never doubted the love that both had for him.
"They always supported me," says Washington. "They helped me stay out of trouble and learn to make my own decisions and I am very thankful for that."
Thankful for all that he has been given by his family, but he is even more thankful for what he learned because of them.
With a sister and a brother, Washington was a well-rounded young man who loved football and loved his mother. His family lived a normal life for awhile, but life soon started turning its wheels.
Before he was nine, Washington lost a loving influence in his life. His grandmother died, sending Washington into a whirlwind of confusion and tears.
"I didn't really understand then. I guess I knew that she was gone forever," says Washington.
But in the face of sadness, Washington and his family moved on.
He was close with his family, but especially his brother. He idolized and respected him and life seemed to be a little brighter again, until his idol was gone.
As the sun slowly dipped over the ocean, Washington was witness to a break-in that's sole purpose was to shoot his brother. While sitting on the opposite couch, his brother was shot in the leg and nine year-old Washington received a permanent scar in his heart.
"It is still hard for me to think about it all. I guess I am lucky that they didn't see me, but I wish they didn't see him either.", says Washington.
His brother recovered, but started a down a road paved with wrong choices.
"He really just started making some bad decisions for himself. I am just thankful that my mom was there to make sure that I didn't make the same mistakes."
The bad decisions that plagued his brother took him away from the family for 13 years. In essence, Washington lost his brother.
"One day he was there, and one day he wasn't," says Washington. "It was hard for everyone in the family, but my mom really held us together. I don't know if I would have made it this far without her."
Washington had the urge and the desire to play football and the backing of his mother for moral support.
"I always had the dream to play football. I would have done anything to play ball," says Washington.
Years later, Washington began to recover, and the doors of Key West High opened, where he began to make a name for himself and a path for his future.
Under Coach Jerry Hughes, Washington earned team MVP honors and set the school record for tackles. He was a first team all-stater on both sides of the ball and the school retired his jersey in recognition of his efforts on the field.
In a spoken agreement, Washington was set to go to Florida State to pursue his football career, but failing to make adequate scores for admission, he was forced to look at other options.
"I think it is the choices in life that we have to make that sometimes lead us into the right direction," he says.
Without those choices, Washington would not have found his way to Mesa Junior College and then into the open arms of the Mountaineer football program.
"No matter what has happened in my life, my mother has been there. It was hard, and there a lot of things I try not to think about. But I do know that when I wanted to make the wrong decisions, she wouldn't let me. So I owe everything to her. She is my life."
Washington will graduate in December with a degree in physical education. He also will be able to celebrate with his brother after 13 years of life without him. That same brother saw Washington play football for the first time against Miami last week. Recovering from tragedy with a determination to fulfill your dreams is difficult and challenging, but it's something Washington would do all over again.
Carey Boaz is a sport management major at West Virginia University and a frequent contributor to Mountaineer Illustrated.
