{"id":320,"date":"2025-04-07T02:48:23","date_gmt":"2025-04-07T02:48:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/roshelleleaksportsjournal\/?p=320"},"modified":"2025-04-07T02:48:23","modified_gmt":"2025-04-07T02:48:23","slug":"tackling-more-than-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/roshelleleaksportsjournal\/2025\/04\/07\/tackling-more-than-football\/","title":{"rendered":"Tackling More Than Football"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

To most fans in the stands at Zable Stadium, number 28 looks like your typical college football player\u2014locked in, athletic, and ready to go to battle on the field. But behind the helmet and the jersey, there\u2019s a part of Latrelle Smith\u2019s story that can\u2019t be captured by stats or highlight reels. He\u2019s not just defending passes and covering receivers\u2014he\u2019s managing a health condition that changed his life in the middle of his college journey. And yet, you\u2019d never know it unless he told you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Latrelle arrived at William & Mary as a freshman, football was his main focus. He was excited to compete, grow as a player, and make an impact on and off the field. Like many student-athletes, his days were packed with weight room sessions, team meetings, practices, and studying. He was used to the grind. But everything changed during his sophomore year when he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEverything changed overnight,\u201d Latrelle said. \u201cOne minute I was just worried about football and classes, and the next, I was learning how to give myself insulin and monitor my blood sugar around the clock.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The diagnosis came as a shock. Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong condition that requires constant attention, and for someone playing football at a high level, the adjustment wasn\u2019t easy. Suddenly, Latrelle had to think about more than his performance. He had to think about survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Managing a health condition like diabetes is hard enough on its own. But for a Division I student-athlete already balancing practices, workouts, team responsibilities, and a full academic course load, it was a whole new game. Latrelle had to completely shift how he prepared for each day. Meals had to be timed precisely. He had to check his glucose levels regularly. He needed to make sure he had supplies, snacks, and a backup plan everywhere he went\u2014just in case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere were times I felt frustrated,\u201d he admitted. \u201cLike, why now? Why me? But I didn\u2019t let it stop me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And he didn\u2019t. Latrelle remained locked in. He showed up for his team every day, not just physically, but mentally. While others focused on routes and reps, he was juggling that plus an entirely new way of life. It took mental strength, discipline, and a maturity far beyond his years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFootball is tough. College is tough. But managing diabetes on top of that? It forced me to grow mentally,\u201d he said. \u201cI had to be more aware, more responsible, and honestly, more proud of myself for the small wins.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His coaches and teammates began to take notice\u2014not just of his athletic ability, but his quiet resilience. He wasn\u2019t just showing up to play; he was showing up to overcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In today\u2019s sports world, we hear a lot about \u201cmental toughness,\u201d but what does that really mean? For some, it\u2019s pushing through injuries or staying focused under pressure. But for Latrelle, it\u2019s staying focused while constantly thinking about your health. It\u2019s listening to your body when it\u2019s telling you something\u2019s off\u2014while also keeping your competitive edge. It\u2019s admitting you need help, and still showing up to fight another day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His story is a powerful reminder that there\u2019s more to being an athlete than talent and hustle. There\u2019s a side of sports we often don\u2019t see\u2014especially when it comes to health and mental strength. Student-athletes like Latrelle are proof that true toughness isn\u2019t loud or flashy. It\u2019s steady, quiet, and consistent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, Latrelle continues to thrive at William & Mary. He\u2019s a leader on and off the field, known not just for his skills as a defensive back, but for his character and determination. While he never expected to be an example of strength through adversity, that\u2019s exactly what he\u2019s become.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His story resonates far beyond the football field. For young athletes managing chronic conditions or facing unexpected challenges, Latrelle shows that it\u2019s possible to keep pushing toward your dreams. Not by pretending everything\u2019s fine\u2014but by adjusting, growing, and refusing to let obstacles define you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As his sister, I\u2019ve watched Latrelle grow through every stage of his journey. And while I\u2019ve always been proud of him as an athlete, I\u2019m even prouder of the strength he shows when no one\u2019s watching. He reminds me\u2014and anyone who hears his story\u2014that being a great athlete isn\u2019t just about how you perform. It\u2019s about how you persevere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

To most fans in the stands at Zable Stadium, number 28 looks like your typical college football player\u2014locked in, athletic, and ready to go to battle on the field. But behind the helmet and the jersey, there\u2019s a part of Latrelle Smith\u2019s story that can\u2019t be captured by stats or highlight reels. He\u2019s not just […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30505,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","wds_primary_category":0},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/roshelleleaksportsjournal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/roshelleleaksportsjournal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/roshelleleaksportsjournal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/roshelleleaksportsjournal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30505"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/roshelleleaksportsjournal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=320"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/roshelleleaksportsjournal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":322,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/roshelleleaksportsjournal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320\/revisions\/322"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/roshelleleaksportsjournal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=320"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/roshelleleaksportsjournal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=320"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/roshelleleaksportsjournal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=320"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}