James Cook said, “Ambition leads me not only farther than any other man has been before me, but as far as I think it possible for man to go.” Jontre Kirklin was born on October 9, 1998, to Larita Scott and Lodric Kirklin of Lutcher, Louisiana. Lutcher is not any Chicago, Illinois or Compton, California, but the chances of a black man making it out are slim to none. I have known Jontre since I was born. Lutcher is a small town and everyone’s family knows each other. Actually, the first set of friends I had in this world was my friends from church and Jontre was one of them. He is really an ambitious student-athlete and always has been. Jontre is cocky but backs it up with his unmatched athletic skill. The guy has the genes of a prized racehorse.…show more content… By his sophomore year, everyone knew that Larita and Lodric’s boy was going somewhere. We made it to the second round of the playoffs that year only to fall to Plaquemine and their well-respected offense. We as underclassmen vowed to do everything and more to make sure we accomplish what all other teams have not since 2008, and that is a state championship. Our final record for his junior year, my sophomore year, was 14-1 and we were, in fact, the 2015 District and State Champions. At the end of this season, Jontre has accomplished 327 completions for 4,584 yards passing and 63 touchdowns. On top of that, he has 1,787 yards rushing and 31 touchdowns. Catching the eyes of many college scouts and receiving numerous offers, Jontre committed to Louisiana State University just last February. Amazingly, he has not just shocked the world in the sport of football. Let us jump into the sport of track and…show more content… He wanted to talk to me about his plans for me this year, not only with football but also for track. I cannot stress how much of a part Coach Carter plays in almost every athlete’s life at Lutcher High School. He is the one coach everyone wants to impress and he is the tough-loving father figure to all of us. “Just stick with Jontre and he’ll get you right,” Coach said. “Jumping is a natural skill Daevon. All I can teach you is technique, but if you observe Jontre, he will be able to show you what a nationally ranked jumper looks like.” I spent the next two months under the wing of my longtime friend. Hitting the sand was the first thing we worked on. It did not feel like freshly dried cement, but it was not a heavenly mattress full of feathers either. Thank God I am a fast learner because Jontre’s pace is not something to play with. After the first week of training with him I had all the motions down and all there was left to do was perfect my
