Today we’d like to introduce you to Marcus Left, Jr.
Marcus, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Growing up, like many athletes, I dreamed of someday playing in the NFL. Although I was a multi-sport athlete as a child, playing football, as well as baseball and basketball, football was my passion. The term student-athlete is something my mother enforced heavily, stressing the importance of being great in the classroom as well as on the field. She would always mention that football won’t last forever, but education will last forever. She would always say, “It’s thousands of people who are just as good as you on the field, so you have to separate yourself in the classroom too, so it isn’t room for debate.”
Unfortunately, on November 6, 2015, my senior season came to an end when I suffered a torn ACL, MCL, and Meniscus. It felt as though everything that I had worked for was taken away at that very moment. I wasn’t a stranger to injuries, as I’ve had minor ones before, but that was the first major injury. I was unprepared for that to happen, and since that obstacle was tougher than me, I was unsure of how to handle the adversity. That led to the questioning of God and his motives. Asking questions such as “Why did you allow this to happen to me?”
It wasn’t until around mid-December, about a week before Christmas, I received a phone call from a recruiting coordinator from Bethel University in Mckenzie, Tennessee. I received my first football scholarship. In January, I received a second scholarship to the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Kentucky. After committing to Bethel University, I continued to rehab to prepare for the start of my collegiate career.
In August of 2017, I suffered another torn ACL, MCL, and Meniscus, but in the opposite knee. Rehabbing for a second time, I am now again questioning my faith. Questioning what am I doing wrong. Trying to change things in my life. I began to experience depression. Trying to cope with my new situation, I decided a new start was what I needed so I began the journey to Livingstone College in North Carolina.
Unfortunately, Livingstone wasn’t the right place for me. Although I was finally able to play a full season, I was there for the wrong reasons. I still had a love for the game, but I had fallen out of love with the game. I was only there to prove to myself that I could still play the game regardless of the two major injuries and to prove to others that felt that I could not. By the end of that season, I realized that I was ready to end that chapter of my life. Now I needed to figure out who I was without football.
Full circle and going to Austin Peay. It wasn’t until I closed the door on football, I was able to shift my perspective of everything that had happened. Instead of focusing on wondering why this happened to me, I began to think why not me? I started to realize that maybe God had something else that I was supposed to accomplish. I started thinking about what I had learned from the situations I had gone through. I learned that I was stronger than I thought I was. Although sometimes I may not have been myself, I never lost who I was. Sometimes you need someone who is not as close to the situation to confide in, which is something I did not have. Now, I want to be an ear to others and assist with any adversity that they may face.
I became a teacher, which is something that I had never envisioned myself doing. I really enjoy being a teacher and having the ability to add value to a person’s life. Going into the teaching profession has allowed me to achieve the goal of helping others and guiding them on their journey.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It hasn’t been a smooth ride at all. I attended three colleges in four years and spent 28 months in rehab for injury. I wasn’t in the best head space mentally, and the thought of not living out my dad’s college dream constantly bothered me. Although my collegiate career didn’t turn out like we all thought it would, it wasn’t like he was disappointed, which I thank for that. But for a while, I felt as if I didn’t live up to that promise. On top of that, the pressure of life after graduation was quickly approaching.
At some point in life, everyone will come face to face with an obstacle of some sort. It’s inevitable. Life is full of challenges, but being strong in the midst of adversity will only make you stronger once the storm has passed. Life is a learning experience and you have to continue to move forward and learn from experiences that are had.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My journey has led me to become a teacher. I’m currently a high school math and science teacher, as well as a physical education teacher. I’m able to connect with my students on an educational level, as well as help guide them on their journey through life. I have become a mentor to the students and have started a mentoring program within the school. The program focuses on the importance of good decision-making, communication skills, handling adversity, faith, leadership, and becoming the best version of yourself. I have also started an organization for those outside of the school system which encompasses the same values. Manhood Monday, one of the services geared toward young men, allows for open discussion regarding the topic of becoming a man and what that looks like in today’s society.
I am most proud of not letting my circumstances or others define who I am. Continuing to have faith and persevering when things seemed challenging. Knowing that I am somehow making even a small difference in someone else’s life keeps me moving forward. I feel as though this is my purpose. To provide a sense of guidance and redirection when individuals find themselves in the midst of adversity and opposition.
We all have different ways of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I view success as a journey, and not necessarily a destination. As individuals, we tend to become attached to a certain expectation or outcome and base success on whether we failed or succeeded at that goal. If the outcome was met, then that’s great. Success is easy when everything is going as planned.
But what about when a person falls short of expectations or didn’t quite get the outcome that they were hoping for?
That doesn’t necessarily mean that the person failed or they’re not successful, it means that now they’re entering the learning phase of their journey. I believe that if you have learned something on your journey, then you’ve achieved personal success.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://move-your-mountain.carrd.co/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-left-jr-a18b95209
