Growing up in Wilkinsburgh, Pa

Growing up in Wilkinsburgh, PA was difficult considering how vicious the neighborhood was. I lived in the upstairs part of a duplex while my older cousin lived in the downstairs part. He was in a gang known around the country as "Crips". They wear blue attire in order to be easily recognized. I looked up to this young man because being the only child I didn't have anyone to look up to.

When I was six I began to show an interest in sports, so my dad enrolled me in a youth football program. I soon began playing quarterback for Penn Hills. From the very first practice, I fell in love with the sport. I was the fastest runner on the team. At some points I felt a little discouraged because the coach constantly yelled at me: however my father always reminded me that the quarterback has the most important role and that it is necessary for the coach to yell at my mistakes. We lost our first game, and all I can remember is feeling as if I had worked so hard just to fail. It is a hard feeling to forget, but the one feeling I will never forget is the one I had when I scored my first touchdown. I felt as if I stood among Gods. That feeling is what has carried me through my career as a football player.

Aside from all the time I dedicated to football, I spent a lot of my time with my cousin. He always took me out to the park that I usually visited with my friends to play. When I was with him at the park, however, it was never to play. He always had drugs to sell. In addition, he was always very violent around me. I can remember him fighting more than anything else. He told me stories about being arrested, and he made the event sound as if it was a thrill more than a punishment. He also told me about women and what I had to look forward to since I was his cousin. To me, he was trying to make me a younger version of him.

The crazy life of my cousin looked glamorous and desirable to me. I began to think that his lifestyle was also for me. As a result, I began to imitate his actions when I was out with my friends. Soon, I asked him to teach me how to be a "Crip", and he happily agreed. The first thing he taught me was the gang signs. Gang signs were useful in establishing my status as a "Crip". Next he taught me what colors to wear in public in order to represent the gang. The gang members are required to wear navy blue and royal blue. He also taught me the importance of recruiting other members, and making the