September 25th, 2025
Some people were placed on this planet to do different things. You might be great with people. You may work in sales, you may work in human services, maybe you’re a social worker, maybe a therapist. Some of you like to work in fast paced environments. Maybe you work in the food industry. Maybe you work in business. Maybe you work in the medical field or maybe you’re a public servant. Maybe you’re in the military. Maybe you’re retired. Maybe you’re an entrepreneur. To whatever and whoever you are- I would almost guarantee that something/someone attracted you to this line of work. There may have been a point in time where you were destined to do this line of work. Well, today you are going to learn about a special individual who was placed here to be in athletics and work with athletes to get them to the highest level possible.
You weren’t even supposed to be here, but you were, and you are- currently. At 6 years old, “5” was hit by a car and almost lost his life. His Aunt Angie prayed for him over his body while he was struck and his mother reassured him and said “don’t worry the powers rangers are coming”. The dream could have died before it even started, but prayer is power and “5” became resilient in that moment. 5 was fortunate enough to not have one broken bone and had nothing more than a few scratches on his body during the scare. Take a second to think about that. If you have ever witnessed an accident in your life or heard about an accident involving a car, almost anyone would tell you that it would be a miracle to walk out of that situation without an injury. He could have been paralyzed or even lost a limb in his body. But, by some miracle, he was able to overcome one of many barriers in his life. One of many hurdles. One of many jukes. One of many adverse moments. This is the birth of a superhero.
His mother cared deeply for “5” and made sure he was protected at all times. She didn’t want him to play football, but 5’s older brother insisted to her that he try it. One day, his brother took him to the football field and saw a vision in “5” that turned everything into a dream. Upon returning home, 5’s older brother convinced his mother to let him play. He told her “don’t worry he’s going to be good, I know it”. While reluctant and still hesitant, she ultimately gave him a chance to chase his dream. The rest was history. 5 identifies his older brother as a major inspiration and an added motivator in his life to chase greatness. His love grew from playing the video game “Madden” every day after school. 5 learned how to play football through that game and his older brought showed him the ropes. Whether that would be from studying player tendencies, to route running, to celebrations, to emulating passion, and to drawing up plays. His older brother was like Superman to him, while 5 was superman to a lot of other people-including myself. 5’s obsession with the game continued to grow. When he had no one to play catch with, he would throw a football high enough in the air where he could catch it, to stay involved. This right here showed his dedication and grind to the game.
Speed kills. Ever heard that? “5”‘ had a superpower. His was superhuman speed. “5” became obsessed with speed at an early age. He attributes this to having competitive speed races with his sister. She seemed to have the upper hand on him early on. She would race “5” every day after school and would win effortlessly. Day in and day out the challenges would continue. Until one day, “5” finally became victorious. He finally beat his sister in a speed race and his confidence continued to grow. He would soon make a name out his speed, agility, and athleticism within the city.
The legendary and iconic “5”. I remember the first time I met the legend I was playing basketball at the YMCA. I wasn’t the best athlete growing up, but I always loved watching the best athletes play. I met the legend in the gym and he was playing a full-court game. The game ends and he says to everyone “I want him on my team”. In my mind, I’m like “me?” This 4 foot 2 kid who couldn’t touch the net or guard anyone because he was too small. But, I could play offense pretty well. Sure enough, he saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself. Remember what I am telling you. I’ll repeat it. He saw something in me that I couldn’t see in myself.
This is where our friendship developed. I could call “5” many things. If this was a marvel movie he could be called many things. The protector, the athletic demon, big brother, or simply 5. A superhero, a big brother, an inspiration to many- an inspiration to me.
I remember when “5” introduced me to his friends at a basketball camp when we were younger. His friends and I ended up playing hide and go seek in the high school locker room- something that we were not supposed to do. But, hey this is what kids do. And we did that. I remember during this moment that there were a lot of laughs and I felt the true friendship connection amongst the legend and I. Our friendship continued to grow, he continued to grow taller and stronger, but I could not relate. It felt like I was shrinking and he was growing in every aspect of his life. By the time he was in seventh grade, the legend was able to dunk a basketball. Unreal. With ease too. To those that do not know, dunking a basketball is not easy- unless you lower the rims about two feet. The height of a basketball hoop is ten feet- with the majority of casual people not being able to dunk. Yeah, he was doing this at twelve years old. I remember the first time I threw the legend an alley-oop off the background and he dunked it. I was in utter shock. I knew at the moment he was born to be special.
“5” had this aura and swagger about him that made him special-specifically in high school. His best sport was football. He was known as a tremendous athlete. He was extremely fast and could jump really high. “5” was a standout football player, basketball player, and track star. But, even so he was an even better human being. Whenever the legend walked into the room, you could feel his aura. He always remained humble, but he was approachable. “5” had a great personality and always seemed to make the room bright with his charming personality. “5” always had my back. I remember my junior year in high school we hung out at his place with his friends and I. I remember one day I was super tired and I was really hungry. I wasn’t within walking distance of my house and I didn’t have much money or any on me at the time. “5” said “no worries lil bro, I got you”. 5 minutes later, he came back with a hot pocket and fruit sucks while making sure I was well accommodated. It’s always the little things. He did this with everybody. I saw it. He treated people well. And people recognized that.
It started with a dream and a vision. From 12am to 2 am workouts to train long hard hours, he wanted to make something out of nothing. After his workouts, he would jog home in the cold at night. “5” had an amazing senior year of high school. He totaled for over 2,000 rushing and receiving yards combined while having 30 rushing touchdowns. There was a two-week stretch in his senior year where he scored 14 touchdowns and accumulated over 800 yards. “5” dominated both rushing and receiving while adding in 100 plus receiving yards for back-to-back weeks. The majority of an average human being does this over an entire season’s worth of games. The legend was able to accomplish this in two football games. Insane. He finished his season landing on the all Central New York football team while being awarded the “Old Spice Red Zone” Player of the year award for his successful season. He was also the MVP of the east vs west all star game amongst the top tier talent in New York State. Some of his best games include 305 rushing yards for 18 carries with 5 rushing touchdowns with 100 plus receiving yards with an additional 2 receiving touchdowns for 3 catches combining for a total of 405 yards-while sitting out in the fourth quarter, 294 rushing yards for 19 carries with 5 rushing touchdowns while adding in 2 catches for 145 yards and adding in 2 receiving touchdowns for a combined total of 439 yards,-while sitting out in the fourth quarter of this game as well, 234 rushing yards for 27 carries with 3 rushing touchdowns, and 298 rushing yards for 26 carries with 4 rushing touchdowns. The 4.41 40-yard dash touchdown machine could not be stopped. The best part about all of this is that he stayed and remained humble. His favorite college football player was Reggie Bush- former running back standout that played at the University of Southern California. In Reggie Bush’s junior year, he rushed for over 1,700 yards and accumulated 18 rushing touchdowns while snagging the Heisman trophy award as the best player in the country. Reggie Bush went on to play for the NFL where he was selected as the number two pick in the 2006 NFL draft. I am telling you about this specifically because the legend was being compared to Reggie Bush. Imagine that? He received many offers to play college football and even had recruiters looking at him as early as his sophomore year of high school. David Walker, who was the the running back coach at the University of Pittsburgh came to visit him and expressed high interest for him to play amongst the elite. “5” made his decision to continue his career to play football. He received offers from big division one schools such as Syracuse, Rutgers, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest, Buffalo, Temple, Maryland, and UConn. I remember the legend telling me had a box full of division one offers he would put in his Air Jordan Retro Box. His future was bright, and the entire city knew it. He went onto play college football and played for four years at Buffalo State University.
Sometimes when you read stories or watch movies about superheroes we see a rise and fall. Think of Bruce Wayne. Bruce Wayne had to undergo a traumatic moment in his life which turned him into Gotham City’s own, Batman. Kobe Bryant speaks about isolation and a lack of acceptance as a child living in Italy which turned him into one of the greatest basketball players to ever live. David Goggins underwent parenting issues, lack of acceptance within his peers, and racism from his city which turned him into one of the strongest and fiercest men known to walk this earth. Let me walk you to his personal journey. “5” didn’t envision his college career going the way he thought it would go. He envisioned even more success and a legitimate shot to play professional football. His path endured much difficulty. “5” didn’t get the same opportunities presented in front of him but never gave up. He had many chances to enter the transfer portal and make a name for himself, but he stuck it out all four years and never gave up. His coaches gave up on him, even when he didn’t give up on himself. “5” finally had an exit conversation with his coaching staff in his senior year where he went looking for answers. “5” remained humble in the conversation and his coaches explained to him that they didn’t believe in him in the way that “5” believed in himself. They essentially told him to quit. His coach even told him he would never go pro. Remember what I am telling you. “5” sees something in himself that most people cannot see. He never forgot this and he continued to work. This was only the beginning of the journey for him. The year is 2013.
In the following year of 2014, he then became NFL draft eligible. In his senior year of college, he was included on a roster of 130 players. There was only one player on that roster who was NFL eligible. That was him. He received invitations to work out and perform at as many as 30 NFL combines and was able to showcase his talents in front of all 32 NFL football teams. He was amongst the highest performing players competing against players from top tier division one universities such as Miami, Alabama, Virginia Tech, Florida State, And Tennessee. Imagine that? Being a top tier prospect from a city population of 25,000 competing with the best. “5” was even able to meet his football idol growing up. He was able to meet former NFL elite standout quarterback Michael Vick. Michael Vick is regarded as one of the most elite and versatile talents the game football has ever seen. Michael Vick revolutionized the game and became one of the first multi-dimensional quarterbacks to showcase his ability to throw the ball and run at an elite level. Many of the quarterbacks today attribute their play style due to him. “5” was not only able to meet him but perform in front of him. Legendary. “5” highlights being invited to the NFL Regional Combine and performing at Ford Field as one of the biggest highlights in his football career. Ford Field is the home of the Detroit Lions where former NFL legends such as Barry Sanders, Reggie Bush, Calvin Johnson, and Matthew Stafford have played. “5” was able to perform and workout on that field. Legendary. He showed and proved to the country that he was able to perform and outperform athletes at the highest level. Not many can truly say that they played in front of their idol while having the privilege to share the same field that the former NFL legends and superstars stepped foot on. Legendary.
The year is 2015. “5” is playing basketball and endures a life changing injury. “5” ruptures his patella tendon. He had to endure 2 surgeries within 2 months due to the severity of the injury. Life changing. Why me? Why through all of this adversity is this happening to me? I’m nearly at the finish line, why can’t I cross it. To you readers out there. Why not you? Have you ever asked that question to yourself? Have you ever attempted to challenge your thoughts and ask yourself if this negative can turn into a positive?
Can I walk again? Will I ever be the same again? Will I ever be able to dunk a basketball again? Will I ever be able to touch a football field again? Are my dreams crushed? What do I do now?
You truly learn a lot about an individual during adverse moments. 5 was told by his doctor that he may not be able to walk the same ever again, yet alone even think about stepping foot on the one of the most physically demanding sports in the entire world. All of this did not stop him.
“5” and “77”. Two of the biggest numbers in his lifetime. When he was a kid he always referred to his home as “77”. So many memories. So many amazing moments. So many sad moments. So many memorable moments.
When “5” endured this devastating injury the next step in the process was to rehab. Day by day. Minute by minute. Moment by moment. He would LIMP to the local YMCA which is about 1.1 miles which takes about 25 minutes to get there. Notice I said LIMP. The average human being can take about a minute or two off depending on their stride or the speed of the walker. That 25 minutes lead to an hour walk. Just to get there. “5” would rehab and do the majority of his strengthening in the pool. Once completing a pool workout, he would limp home again. Which would be another hour. While after, he would have to limp to physical therapy. Which would take him another hour. After physical therapy, he would have to limp to work. This walk to work would take him another 30 minutes. Which with his condition, turned into an hour walk getting to work. And then essentially having to do this as much as possible throughout the week. This was the most pain he has ever endured in his entire life.
Limps turned into slow walks. Slow walks turned into longer strides. Longer strides turned into speed walks. Speed walks turned into slight jogs. Slight jogs turned into light training. Light training turned into a day closer to where he used to be.
Adrian Peterson. Ever heard of him? If not, I can tell you who he is. He was a legendary running back that played 15 years in the NFL. On Christmas Eve of 2011, Adrian Peterson endured a devastating injury. He tore both his ACL and his MCL. Just from an ACL tear alone an individual can be out from 6-9 months. Due to precautionary measures, today’s players may sit out from 9 months-12 months. Adrian Peterson returned within 8 months. With leaving people with a raised eyebrow, some questioned Adrian Peterson’s return as too soon. He seemed to silence the critics with his return season. In the 2012 NFL Season, Adrian Peterson rushed for 2,097 yards falling shy of the NFL season record and adding in 12 rushing touchdowns while securing the NFL’s most valuable player. Adrian Peterson is regarded as one of the most inspiring and resilient comeback’s from an athlete in all of sports history. “5” used this story as a reason to stay motivated and do whatever it takes to accomplish his goal. Which was to play professional football.
The year is 2019. Through 2015-2018; 5’s journey was predicated through recovery, rehabilitation, endless opportunities to NFL combines and workouts, while working full-time and maintaining a never ending relentless dream. Life would change officially for “5”. He became a father to a new born daughter. He now had two full-time jobs to attend to, while pursuing his dream. He now had more to live for, on top of football. This gave 5 an extra boost of energy and motivation to make it. By now, “5” is back to his normal self. He is fully recovered. He is 100% healthy and is ready for any and every opportunity set in front of him. 5 felt stronger. Faster. More explosive. More determined. More motivated than ever.
The year is 2020. 5 is continually training and working towards a comeback. Unfortunately, the world was impacted by a devastating pandemic. COVID-19. I don’t think any of us thought that it would get as bad as we could witness. The year now is 2025. Take a few moments to personally reflect on how much COVID impacted your life. Everything was shut down. No gyms. No parks. No recreational or social events. No sporting events. A ghost town outside. Everyone was wearing masks. The list goes on and on. 2020 was a terrible year for all of us. We lost so many people due to this virus. Nobody deserved to lose their life and it was terrible to witness. We lost athletes, entertainers, musicians, mothers, fathers, children, co-workers, and friends. Some of these people that passed away were individuals we personally knew. On April 1st, 2020 his mother sadly passed away. “5” identifies his mother as his true inspiration, his fuel, his motivator, and his best friend.
“I lost a piece of myself”- “I was lost” -“I was in shock”- “I was devastated”- ” I was in disbelief”- “Hospitals have traumatized me”. These were some of the things “5” stated when he felt this pain. There were points in the journey where 5 was hesitant on wanting to continue the journey, but deep down he knew he couldn’t stop. Not now. He had more to play for with the birth of his daughter. He had more to prove with the loss of his mother.
Throughout COVID none of us can really say we were able to do much through the beginning stages. No-one had a plan. The plan for 5 was simple. Keep training. If we can’t train at a gym, a football field, or in public- I can find a way. 5 went back to step 1. Back to the trenches. Back to the backyard. His daughter would watch him train aimlessly as he would run routes, throw the football to himself, perform calisthenic exercises, and perform ladder drills to keep him in top notch shape. His daughter would watch, laugh, and smile with him not knowing what her superhero was going through to make a dream become possible. This level of training would continue until things in the public would slowly open back up little by little.
One year later. 2021. All of this would pay off. With no agent representation, 5 found a way for himself. 5 attended a professional football workout for the Fan Controlled Football League. 5 drew attention from a multitude of scouts and coaches who kept continually asking him to come back for workouts. 5 found himself signing a FCF contract to then be drafted by the Glacier Boyz. 5 shared the football field alongside former NFL players such as Hall of Fame football player Terrell Owens, former first round draft pick of the 2014 NFL Draft Class Johnny Manziel aka Johnny Football who was the first freshman to win the Heisman Award in the year of 2012, and former NFL wide receiver Martavis Bryant. “5” attributes much of his success to his Aunt Dot who works at an airline company. She would always help him with first class flights to NFL combines to support him in his pursuit of his dream. She would even attend some of the NFL combines with him. He already felt as if he was receiving star treatment. He also attributes his success to his family and friends that would help him train and prep for his NFL combines to help prepare him as much as possible.
I remember watching “5” on TV as his game was on television. He finally made it. He signed a contract to play professional football. I see him on TV with his name on his back while he’s doing what he loves. I remember I got goosebumps on my entire body when he was being introduced coming out of the tunnel. Everything he worked for, the highs, the lows, the things that not too many people know, all worked in his favor. “5′ checked into the game while his team was on the goal-line preparing to score a touchdown. “5” checks in at running back to help his team score a touchdown. The quarterback yells hike and runs a pitch to the left for the legend. With a blink of an eye, “5” scores his first professional football touchdown. He then performed a backflip in the endzone and performed his touchdown celebration. He made it.
Control what you can control. Ironically, the name of the league he was in was called the Fan Controlled Football League. Where he had control, but the fans controlled the outcome of the game for you. In this league, the fans could call the plays for you and essentially vote to have a player traded to another team. It was a fan-player based experience. Well, this league did not last long. The Fan Controlled Football League ended after two seasons. “5” was blessed enough to play in one of the two seasons. The league was discontinued due to business complications.
Back to the basics. Back to home base. Do I retire? Do I hang up the cleats? Am I truly satisfied? What’s next?
The year is 2025. Through the years of 2021-2025 “5” continued to train and maintain a full-time job, while watching his youngest daughter grow year after year. “5” had to give one last and final professional football workout. At this point in life, he met his idol and performed in front of him, signed a professional contract to play on TV, and scored a touchdown while as a professional football player.
“5” attended his last showcase. He attended his last professional football showcase through the United Football League which is an American Minor League for athletes in the United States. Remember when I told you that “5” and “77” were his most significant numbers? Through every football workout, a player is given a number to perform in. “5” was given the number “77”. He knew that his mother was there with him in spirit and knew he could not fail. “5” performed well enough to catch the eyes of scouts and coaches once again. When “5” attended this showcase, he was invited by more coaches and scouts to return to another showcase based on his performance. After performing and networking with the UFL coaches and scouts he was introduced to a man that was willing to give him an opportunity, but this time in another light. “5” was able to meet Stephen Austin, who is the Founder, and CEO of the NFL regional and NFL Super Regional Combines. “5” was able to attend both. A few months later, Stephen reach out to “5” and offered him a position on his staff as a Scout and Combine Specialist for the UFL. He is now a part of the American National Combines which is an organization that facilitates professional football combines and related events for individuals looking to play professional football in the United Football League, the big 12, and the NFL. “5” went into this workout with the intentions to want to continue and remain around the game that he has always loved. He was given that. He can now help players maximize their talents to provide the lift possible to play professional football at the highest level.
Peace. Tranquility. Balance. Sometimes when you walk away from the things you love in life it brings you that. Hopefully all three things. Have you ever let go of something that you were deeply attached to? Like truly? A job? A sport? How much did that matter to you? And how much impact did it bring to you? It was time. It was time to let go. It was time to retire and transition and to a new stage in life.
Blood, sweat, and tears. The legit grind to get to where you want to be. This story is the true testament that asks- How bad do you truly want it? How much are you willing to sacrifice to get to where you want to be? How bad do you want to be successful? Do you truly want to achieve your goal?
The legend quotes “I just wanted to be me. I just wanted to be the best version of myself. I just want to uplift others and inspire as many people as possible, in any way possible. I wanted to be natural. I never wanted to cheat the game. I never took performance enhancers and stayed away from protein shakes. I never tried to compare myself to others. I just want the best for people. I was receiving hate from my own city. People wanted to see me fail. But that gave me motivation. I thrived off of the hate. That hate turned into my personal motivation. My ultimate dream was to make it and become a professional football player. To create a legacy for myself and to provide for my family. I knew what I wanted to do since first grade when my teacher asked what I wanted to do in life. It was simple. I wrote on that piece of paper that I wanted to become a professional football player, and I never stopped until I was able to reach that goal. If you’re good enough, they will find you. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, they will find you”. -“The Legendary 5”
“I just want to truly thank you all for the support that I have received over the years. This is dedicated to my mother, my daughter, my family, my friends, my coaches, and to everyone who has followed me and supported me in my entire journey. This goes out to you all and I cannot thank you enough”. “The Legendary 5”
The name is Ismail Brooks. Do me a favor and google him. Research him. YouTube him. Thank you for putting on for our city. Thank you for continually chasing a dream that never died and thank you for showing us all that through hard work, perseverance, resilience, and dedication can get you anywhere in life. All it takes is a dream.
“You can literally do anything in life, literally”. -Ismail Brooks
Mr. Creator
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