Electrifying, speedy, exciting, "fastest player in football"; only some of the traits that describe rookie wide receiver Jeremy Maclin out of Missouri. Drafted by the Phildelphia Eagles as the 19th pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, Maclin will bring explosiveness to the Eagles, even though they already have wide receiver DeSean Jackson (drafted last year by them in the second round). But I am not here to write about how he benefits the Eagles; I am here to talk about Maclin's true story to get fom rags to riches.
Born on May 11, 1988, Maclin's childhood was troubled, as he had built up scars over the years. Some conspicuous, some not. The invisible ones are the ones that, perhaps, made Jeremy Maclin what he is today. It is not an easy road to the NFL for any average person, but it is even harder when you go thorugh the trouble that Maclin has. He grew up with his two brothers and his perturbed mother; it was a struggle for Cleo Maclin, his father, to put bread on the table. He scrapped long hours of work, and they barely managed to get by. It was hard living, and at a young age, Maclin got interested in football. However, his parents were not always home to transport him to and from practice. Then came along Dr. Jeff Parres.
His Pop Warner football coach, Dr. Parres, started to drive Maclin to and from practice from the age of nine, all the while getting a glimpse of Jeremy's troubled off-the-field life. In fact, one night, as he was dropping off Jeremy at home, Dr. Parres noticed that the young boy had to practically break-in to his own house to get inside, resorting to limbing through the windows since he had been locked out. Maclin often went without dinner. And as the years went by, Dr. Parres started taking Maclin home to his own house to give him a proper place to live. Before long, Jeremy had become a part of the Parres family. Dr and Mrs Parres already had two sons, making their pseudo-adoption of Maclin all the more admirable. They appreciated Jeremy, and oserved that, "He’s [Jeremy] basically walked out of youth, and right into being a man." Then, Maclin was accepted to attend Univeristy of Missourri for the 2007 season to play football. As Mrs. Parres looks back, she notices that she never thought of Jeremy as a superstar. He was always just a great footall player, whereever he went, according to her.
Alhough it has become hard to look back, Jeremy Maclin will always remember not only the Parres family, but also his parents, as they had tried as hard as they could have. They sat with the Parres family during the Draft, awaiting anxiously for their son's crowning moment. Through all his troubles, Maclin also thanks God, to whom he has grown closer throughout the years. Reaching the NFL through the support of the Parres, his family, and the Lord, it is only fitting that Jeremy Maclin will play for Eagles next year in "The City of Brotherly Love".
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