“I was diagnosed with autism when I was 6 years old. My dad didn’t really understand what autism was. I asked, ‘Is there something wrong with me?’ My mom said, ‘No. It just means that you’re special. It means that you’re unique, not like everyone else.’ Because I liked cartoons and stuff, it was explained to me that I was like the Wolverine in X-Men. Like, that’s my super power.

“Growing up was challenging, just trying to make friends and fitting in. Some people were mean. In junior high, kids would call me weirdo, ugly, all kinds of things. It was hard.

“But that’s where I met coach (Scott) Griffin. He was a football coach. He’s the man who found me and started helping me. He looked at me as a person, not an autistic person.

“When I got to high school, things were different. I got a chance to be manager for the Goose Creek Memorial football team. Coach (Bret) Boyd was really supportive, and the players were all good to me. I started making friends. People started liking me for me. And I cared about them. I felt like they were my brothers. They were my family.

“I was also team manager for basketball and baseball, all four years. It made me feel important. For the first time, it made me feel special. I felt like I had meaning in my life. I had a purpose. It was everything to me.

“Then when I began taking classes at Lee College, coach (Nick) Wade let me start helping out with the basketball team. It was after COVID, and I was trying to get back on my feet again socially.

“This was also the time when my dad had a heart attack. One day we got a call from the hospital, and they said we better come. He’s dying. That was awful. It still makes me sad to talk about.

“But all the coaches and the guys on the basketball team were so supportive. They were worried for me. If they weren’t there for me during that time, I don’t know where I would be.

“I’m so thankful to coach Wade. He gave me a team to be part of again. He gave me a family again.”

— Roberto (Berto) Nunez Jr.

Related:

• Autism ‘isn’t going to stop me’

The post Sports families boost student with autism appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“I remember when I was 6 years old, my dad would come home from work and we would go out in the street to kick a football. I’m not sure why, but he would always take off his dress shoes and kick barefoot. I guess that’s where I got it. I’ve tried both ways. I just have a better feel for the football when I’m kicking barefoot. Because of some knee injuries and maybe a little favoritism going on, I only got to play one game as a senior at Sterling High School. I tried a 45-yard field goal, and that was it. But I knew I had a strong leg, and I was determined to play college ball. I reached out to a few schools, and I got a chance to try out for Kilgore College. The head coach only needed to see me kick for 20 minutes. He took me back to the field house and typed up a scholarship.”

While kicking as a freshman, a freak injury on an AstroTurf field in the team’s eighth game ended his college career. “Three knee surgeries later, I had missed my window. I felt pretty defeated.”

“Throughout my marriage, I would go out and kick about every six months. I knew I still had it. But my ex-wife didn’t want me to get back in the game. She was afraid I was going to get hurt again. Spring forward to when I was 34. I go through a nasty divorce. Didn’t have anyone telling me what to do anymore. So I decided to start playing again.”

What followed was a 14-year career in semipro football, playing for several teams in the Houston area — the last 10 years with the Texas Red Raiders. “That’s where I made a name for myself. I was known as The Foot. I finished my career with 702 points and played in six or seven all-star games.”

Seven knee surgeries and two neck surgeries finally took a toll, leading to retirement in 2018 at age 48. But after being selected to enter the Minor League Football Hall of Fame on Nov. 18 in Las Vegas, “It makes my knees and my neck feel a little bit better.”

— Jerry Michalsky

The 53-year-old plans to kick in one more game, as part of an all-star team playing a team from Colorado during the Hall of Fame weekend. “They’re not supposed to be able to rush on field goals and punts, so I think I’ll be OK.”

Related:

• ‘I busted my butt’ to recover from COVID

The post ‘The Foot’ kicks his way to Hall of Fame appeared first on The Baytown Project.

Jamari: “We didn’t experience the 2020 that most everyone else did. It was a very exciting year for us. COVID was going strong, but that didn’t stop us from getting married and opening up this business. In a way, it seemed only fitting to open a space to provide nutritional items and nutritional advice during a health pandemic. As first-time business owners together, it’s been a roller coaster. There’s no typical day. There’s always something to do, as far as creating new items, marketing, and following trends that we’re seeing on social media or in the business world. It’s definitely been an eye-opening experience.”

Morgan: “We knew that health is something people really care about. So we just kind of plunged in and went for it. We’re trying to bring new things to Baytown that are healthy, but also taste good. And we’re trying to help build up this area as well.”

Jamari: “We serve on the ACE District board. We want to be impacters in the city and stakeholders in what happens down here. We want to be part of the effort to bring this area of Baytown back to life. What better place to start a business than in your hometown? We’re in a position now to give back to a community that was supportive and good to us when we were growing up.”

Morgan and Jamari Gilbert own Baytown Nutrition at 123 W. Defee (Suite 11). Their newest team member is 5-month-old daughter, Kye, who hangs out with them at work.

Morgan: “She’s pretty chill.” Jamari: “Yeah, she’s rarely fussy or crying, which helps us. We don’t need a babysitter or daycare. We just keep her here. She’s always with us. She’s growing up with us.”

Jamari was a football standout at Lee High School and University of the Incarnate Word, before playing one season for the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League. He hasn’t given up the dream of playing pro ball, with plans to attend a scouting combine for the XFL in July.

The post Young couple tackle new business appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“I worked for a while at the hospital as a CNA [certified nursing assistant]. When I had my youngest son, I started staying home. I was working 12-hour shifts. But I decided that him being successful was more important. I wanted to make sure he stayed on the right path throughout school. I wanted to keep him from drifting off into doing bad things. I felt as long as I was able to stay on him and keep him occupied, like playing sports, it would be better than some kid out there doing mischievous things and getting into trouble.

“I had just been through it with my older son. He had a few problems. He kind of stepped off into the wrong direction. He ended up doing a little time. But he’s changed his direction and his ways. He’s doing OK now. My daughter’s also doing well. She had her first baby, who’s 8 months old and very spoiled. I’m extremely proud of my kids.

“I went through some challenging times, overcoming drugs and being an addict. The turning point was when my best friend for years was murdered. It was a case of wrong place, wrong time. He was walking away from a situation, and they shot him four times. It was a life-changing moment. I figured that could easily have been me. I’ve been sober for five years now. It’s a struggle every day. My kids are what keep me going.

“My youngest son lives with his dad. He was in high school when we separated. Because I didn’t want to disturb his stability, I told him he should stay with his dad. He was pretty upset.

“But he’s a senior now. He’s a very smart kid. And he loves football. He’s played it all his life. He’s hoping to get a college scholarship. He’s got some scouts looking at him. He wants to be able to play on Saturdays. After that, he wants to play on Sundays in the NFL. He’s really motivated.

“While I’ve made some mistakes along the way, I’ve never regretted leaving that nursing job. If I didn’t, my son might not be in the position he’s in today.”

— Rachel Rayon

The post Mom intent on son being successful appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“Being a little country girl from Beaumont, I was always tomboyish. Although I wasn’t very girly, I was a cheerleader all through school. My junior year, I got kicked off the squad because I had the only fight in my entire life. So I needed something to do. I ended up being really good at powerlifting. I became the number one lifter in my weight class in the state and nation.

“But the one thing I always wanted to do was play football. I felt I was strong enough. So I approached the high school coach. At first, he wasn’t having it. He came around later and said that I could play, but not on varsity, only JV. Well, with my ego, I just chose not to pursue it.

“Years later, I was in the gym working out when I heard on the radio that Houston had a professional women’s team. It was the Houston Lady Oilers in the new Women’s Arena Football League. I got a tryout. And at age 32, I made the team. We won the championship, but the league failed and fell apart. I moved on to the Texas Lady Jaguars in the Sugar ‘N Spice Football League, and we won the Super Bowl.

“Early in my career, they tried me out as a linebacker because of my size and strength. But I was more aggressive as a running back. I didn’t like doing the hitting, but I loved getting hit. They called me Ironhead after Craig “Ironhead” Heyward, who was a physical running back in the NFL. I have no regrets, but my body suffers from it now.

“After I retired, I had excrutiating back pain, and my neck bothered me. I would have to roll out of bed, or my husband would have to push me off. MRIs showed that I had degenerative discs in my neck and lower back, and some arthritis setting in. I also have a bad hip. I’m not a medication type person. But by working out, strengthening my core, and just trying to stay active, I’ve learned to deal with it.

“When I went in for pain injections a few years back, the doctor was like, ‘Either you were crazy or you just really loved the game.’ And I was like, “I really loved the game. But I guess I was a little bit crazy, too.’”

— Raquel Segura

Related:

• Poetry emerges from heartbreaking loss

• Spoken word poet tells Da Truth

The post Playing pro football, she lived her dream appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“My husband and I have called Crosby home for six years now. We specifically chose Crosby as the place we wanted to raise our family: a smallish, diverse, one-high school town. We immediately fell in love with the culture. And we made that trip to Austin for the football team’s state semifinal playoff game in 2014, just months before our son was born.

“In 2017, I left my job as a nurse administrator in the medical center to start Crosby High School’s Health Science program. It has been great, but we’ve had our share of challenges: hurricanes, floods, a financial crisis, and then COVID. The current pandemic has proven to be a challenge like none we have ever faced as educators. Our campus staff have bonded during this time, and I love to come to work every day. It has been hard, but our students are what truly make it worth it.

“Our football team is preparing for the state championship game, and the ride has been such a bright spot for our school — especially for us as teachers. We attend sporting events at least weekly to cheer for our students, and we rarely miss a football game. We traveled to watch our team take down four top 10-ranked teams on the road to the championship game. But the proudest moment as teachers was watching them interact with Liberty Hill after we beat them last week. Our boys postponed their celebration to console the Liberty Hill players, who had just lost their head coach, Jeff Walker, to cancer in December.

“Our community has rallied around Coach Walker’s wife, presenting her with a check prior to that game. His hat and jersey will accompany Crosby to the state championship game, so I feel like we now have two communities cheering us on.

“It makes us so proud that our students aren’t only successful on the field, but they are showing real character. Crosby needed this bright spot during such a difficult year. It has truly been special.”

— Kristi Thompson

Kristi’s husband, Corbett, also teaches at Crosby High School. The Cougars (12-3) beat Liberty Hill 62-61 in overtime last week. They will play Aledo (12-1) in the Class 5A-Division II championship game at 1 p.m. Friday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

The post Teacher proud of character shown by student athletes appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“I’m in what is probably one of the top five oldest fantasy football leagues still in existence. We were all attending Arizona State, where I was a grad student. We were these jocks who played together on an intramural football team. We were just good friends who liked to hang around each other all the time.

“We held our first draft in 1978. We made up our own rules, who got scoring and all that kind of stuff. We started off at $5 a week. Whoever won the Super Bowl got to take a date out for dinner with wine, and bring back the tab for us all to split up.

“It started with 11 of us on that intramural team. Nine of the 11 are left. Two of us have passed. So we’ve got nine, plus a couple guys we’ve added over the years.

“The cool thing is that we all started our careers together. One guy went to the Naval Academy, and we call him The Admiral. We have very successful businessmen. We have educators. We have psychiatrists. We have one guy who’s in charge of all the electricity grids in western America.

“We’ve been through everything together: the birth of our kids, friends dying, businesses going up and down. We’ve gone on vacations together with our wives. We still meet twice a year religiously to do our draft and everything. That’s pretty cool, I think, to have a circle of friends, nine of whom are from the core you’ve known for over 40 years.

“We really never have gone online. We’re so old-fashioned, we still keep notes by hand. We have hard copy written minutes of every meeting. We have an archive of documents that you wouldn’t believe. All we do with the internet is submit our lineups every week, and we use it to communicate.

“We have a pretty special bond. I guess we all just love each other. But we still have a bloody, bloody rivalry when it comes to who wins that trophy, I’ll tell you that. It’s pretty cutthroat.”

— Jeff Butler

They were planning to meet in Las Vegas to hold this season’s draft. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, they will probably do it on Zoom.

Related:

• Robotics team mentor helps other ‘curious’ kids

The post Fantasy football league friends still going strong appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“One of the freedoms (NFL players) have is the ability to stand or not stand (for the National Anthem). You can’t celebrate having freedoms and then admonish someone for using those same freedoms. Exercising one’s rights isn’t disrespecting those who fought for it. Why fight for it if you are never going to use it or allow someone else to use it?

“Don’t get me wrong. I am very grateful for those who came before me — friends, family and ancestors long gone — who fought for what we have today. But regardless of our personal ideas of what should and shouldn’t be protested, no one can legally make you stand or kneel. The right and the decision lies entirely with the individual. I will stand, but I won’t chastise someone who doesn’t.”

— Eric Hatch, 35

The post NFL players: to stand or not stand? appeared first on The Baytown Project.

As Hurricane Harvey delayed the start of the school year in Baytown, it also put at risk many local students, teachers and coaches. Among those were Bren Jones and his wife, Norma Picacio-Jones. Bren, the head football coach at Goose Creek Memorial High School, ventured into deep waters to help rescue members of his coaching staff and their families.

“My girlfriends and I were relaying messages to Bren about the coaches and teachers who needed help. As we sat waiting, I thought about how at 6:15 a.m. when he left, all I had fed him was the Nexium and blood pressure medicine I shoved in his mouth after he brushed his teeth. I didn’t even send him off with a bottle of water after a quick kiss. I selfishly begged through phone texts for him not to endanger his life, knowing well that he never thought of himself. He promised me he would return. I had to believe him because he had saved me and (our dog) Sophie first.

The post Football coach braves flooding for friends, families appeared first on The Baytown Project.

Later, he would learn to love the sport that helped him earn a college scholarship. But art is what really captured his heart.

Zach’s path to making a living as an artist, which these days requires digital expertise to go along with natural talent, has taken a few unexpected turns. At age 25, though, he remains focused on that goal.

Art starts early

“My interest in art started when I was very young. I would always draw and stuff,” Zach said.

“My dad was a really big fan of movies. One of the films he had me watch was ‘Princess Mononoke’ by Hayao Miyazaki. It just blew me away that someone could draw something and make it look like that. It was awesome. That’s when I really knew that I wanted to draw.”

Zach took art classes in school, including at Robert E. Lee High School in Baytown. That’s also where his interest in playing football took off, placing his art on the back burner.

“I had never really played football before that. I was a defensive end and nose tackle, and I got a scholarship to play at Incarnate Word in San Antonio. It was their first year having a football team, so I thought that was kind of cool,” said Zach, who as a freshman started at defensive end. He also was a shot put and discus competitor for the track and field team.

Unfortunately, the injury bug derailed his football career. After rebounding from a slipped disk during his senior year at Lee, he sustained a torn hamstring during his first season at University of the Incarnate Word.

Frustrated by those setbacks, Zach decided to leave San Antonio and take classes at The Art Institute of Houston. He continued for about a year before financial challenges steered him back to the football field.

“I returned to Incarnate Word, and then I tore my Achilles. After that, I just felt like I was done with football. I didn’t want to keep dealing with all those injuries,” Zach said.

Getting a break

While at The Art Institute he met Jon Hughes, who was trying to create his own comic book company. He offered to help Zach get his feet wet in the business.

“He said, ‘Why don’t you come and help me out? I’ll teach you how to draw, and you can see what it’s like to be in the industry,’” Zach said.

As Hughes was getting Overground Comics started, Zach gained some valuable experience.

When he returned to school last year, through the Academy of Art University’s online program, Zach got a chance to intern with Hughes as his company was taking off.

“When I was younger, I always thought about getting into video game design. I wanted to design characters and do environmental design and visual development. That’s what I’m going to school for now, visual development,” Zach said.

“I would like to end up some place where I could flex my creativity and my imagination. I would love to work in an animation department or in the video game or movie industries doing character design and stuff like that.”

Along the way, Zach has dealt with his share of personal challenges. There was a failed relationship. A business venture fell through. And his car was repossessed.

“I had no money. I was on depression medication and going through withdrawals. It was like, whoa,” he recalled.

Zach credits his renewed connection with God for putting him back on the right path.

“I realized that I just wasn’t living right, and everything was taken from me,” he said.

Zach said he now spends most of his time studying the Bible, praying and drawing.

He also has learned to venture forth on his own more confidently, after following others’ directions for years.

Staying on track

“I’m a guy who always responded well to taking orders. My dad was a Marine. So as a kid growing up, there was a lot of, ‘Do this. Make sure you do that.’ I always had directions, a list of things to do. And I didn’t mind being told what to do,” Zach said.

“When I started playing football, I fell right in line. You tell me where to go, what to do on the football field, and I’d go do it. But as I got older and was on my own in the real world, I discovered that if I didn’t have those orders or that direction I’d be like, ‘What do I do now?’ At times, it’s been hard for me to just be still and wait for opportunities to happen. So I’ve been trying to take some initiative.”

That includes staying on track to complete his art school courses and drawing every day to improve his skills.

“I compare a lot of things in life to working out and playing football. If you do it every day, in the end doors will open and you’ll be running that 40-yard dash like you want to. You’ll get that opportunity to make it as an artist,” Zach said. “So I’m just trying to take those small steps that I know will lead to big steps.”

One of his dreams is to work on a project like “The Action Bible,” which features comic book-style illustrations that help tell classic Bible stories.

“There’s a lot of action and life in those stories” Zach said. “I would love to be able to depict those in a way that is visually stunning and interesting.”

Check out some of Zach’s work.

The post Aspiring young artist determined to follow his dream appeared first on The Baytown Project.