Eric Arrington

Growing up in Compton, California, sports were my life. Football, baseball, basketball - I had a passion for them all. A strong desire to succeed in these sports occupied the majority of my time. I also had another desire as a child and that was to be able to ride in a jet plane. I remember asking my mom one day if I would ever be able to ride in a jet plane. Her response has been a motivation for many of my successes in life. She replied, "All young men that go to college and become professional athletes get to ride in those planes". So, my mind was set. I was going to college to become a professional athlete. After graduating from Compton High School, I attended Harbor Community College (HCC) to play football. While at HCC, I was named a Junior All-American Outside Linebacker. This gave me the opportunity to earn a spot on Grambling State University's football team, a NCAA Division I school. As a Grambling Tiger, I played well enough to receive an invitation to tryout for the Los Angeles Raiders. It wouldn't be easy, but I wanted to accomplish two things - to make the team and to get a chance to ride on a plane. I did get a chance to ride on a plane, but I did not make the team and was released from the Raiders. As fate would have it, I was good enough to make an Arena Football team and gained enormous experience in the AFL. That experience gave me a second invitation to tryout with the Raiders and a second opportunity to play in the NFL. That opportunity came to a screeching halt when, celebrating the second invitation with friends, I was shot six times in the back. This was bittersweet to me because, in the process of being shot, I protected a friend from being injured or killed. This confrontation left me paralyzed from the waist down and in a wheelchair for the rest of my life. With time, support and love from my family, I've learned to embrace the unique gift that God has provided me. I thank Him everyday for a second chance. I may be paralyzed and in a wheelchair, but this is minor to me. I have the wonderful opportunity to enjoy life to it's fullest. We all have many choices in life, and in the 19 years since my injury, I've chosen to help young people in our community. This is now my passion. I still enjoy football, baseball and basketball, but now am able to pass on my experience and perspective on life through coaching. I've had the good fortune of coaching four football championship teams at the Junior College level, as well as a winning a championship at the NCAA Division III level. I've learned that in life, it's not what you go through, but it's how you go through it....

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