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You have to set goals every day, Tom advises.  There are a lot of people with talent, but to rise above the pack you need to be disciplined and consistent. Coach Ekmark has inspired me to be thankful and not take things for granted. I hope and pray I will make the most of life. My parents have helped me to stay humble and to handle adversity. <br>As for drugs and alcohol, Tom is totally against them for teens and athletes. It was a wonderful thing for Tom to be able to look me straight in the eye and declare in all truthfulness that he had never had one drop of alcohol or gone near an illegal drug.  Taking drugs and drinking alcohol are not good decisions, confirms Tom.  Not even a little bit. If you do something illegal long enough, you are going to get caught. I will never do it. I want to surround myself with good people and, thankfully, I have been in a good environment. <br>Whenever an athlete like Tom has extraordinary strength, the question of steroids invariably comes up.  Steroids have never been an option, says Tom.  I never even think about it. If you think you need steroids, you are thinking and training wrong. Nothing could ever make me take steroids. <br> The Be An Eleven concept is important here at Park High School . . . to be a great individual in all areas like athletics, school, family and community, says Tom.  To me, it is going the extra step to stand out. Spiritual values are also important. It also became known to me that Tom prays every day.<br>Tom tries to be an example, and he is very much aware that the younger athletes and students are looking to him for leadership. He tells others,  Have fortitude. Have courage and strength of mind. Make your family important. If I couldn t play football again, I would still consider myself fortunate. <br>I want to mention two other amazing facts about Tom s life. First, Tom does not have a driver s license and does not drive. His driver education class conflicted with his workouts and the start of football practice, so he chose football.<br>Second, Tom was elected homecoming king last fall. At the presentation ceremony, he gave his crown to his little brother Joey, who has Down syndrome. Joey was all smiles and so was everyone else as he stood as king at the homecoming assembly. <br>Tom is a true Eleven, and we at BFS wish him well as he embarks on the next chapter of his life at the University of Iowa. Our thanks go to Tom, his parents and Coach Ekmark for this inspiring story. <br><br><br><br>My uncle was a police officer and I learned that it was just not worth it. <br>Being in the  hood was part of Karon s everyday life while growing up. He gives the following advice to survive:  First, be aware and be smart. Second, be down to earth. Don t try to seem better than others. Third, be careful where you go and who you are with. You can be guilty by association. <br>Karon chose SMU to play football and made an immediate impact. He became a starter for the Mustangs at mid-season during his true freshman year. Karon also did well the following year but he wanted to be closer to home. Thus, a monumental decision was made. He transferred to Minnesota. However, according to NCAA rules, Karon sat out the first year, but was given the Defens