09-09-2020, 12:13 PM
Can't help but root for a kid like this. I remember reading about all this when he was drafted, but I'd forgotten all about it. Amazing kid.
Vikings' Alexander Mattison builds, and breaks through, a 'hurdle wall'
The Vikings' Alexander Mattison learned to leap over hurdles, with family, friends and coaches supplying a safety net of support.
By Chip Scoggins Star Tribune SEPTEMBER 8, 2020 — 11:48PM
A picture of Alexander Mattison’s first NFL touchdown hangs on a wall in his living room. The image shows him hurdling an Oakland Raiders defender as he soars toward the end zone, gliding so gracefully through air.
That snapshot has become something of a signature move for the Vikings second-year running back. Leaping over defenders while trying to avoid a tackle. He has other pictures of himself performing that trick going back to his college days, all displayed together. He calls it his “hurdle wall.”
In many ways, that move also serves as a metaphor for his life. Whenever something stood in his way, he leapt over it. Over time, Mattison built this personal hurdle wall, an invisible testament to a family’s love and devotion to each other, the power of perseverance, and one kid’s refusal to allow difficult circumstances influence his outlook or success.
Raised in a city with high poverty and violent crime rates, Mattison didn’t stumble. He flourished, both in athletics and the classroom in San Bernardino, Calif., where he graduated from a dual immersion program with a 4.57 grade-point average.
When his family struggled financially and experienced brief periods of homelessness, he kept charging forward with the help of a support system that included relatives, coaches and a community that offered its embrace.
More at https://www.startribune.com/vikings-matt...572350982/
Vikings' Alexander Mattison builds, and breaks through, a 'hurdle wall'
The Vikings' Alexander Mattison learned to leap over hurdles, with family, friends and coaches supplying a safety net of support.
By Chip Scoggins Star Tribune SEPTEMBER 8, 2020 — 11:48PM
A picture of Alexander Mattison’s first NFL touchdown hangs on a wall in his living room. The image shows him hurdling an Oakland Raiders defender as he soars toward the end zone, gliding so gracefully through air.
That snapshot has become something of a signature move for the Vikings second-year running back. Leaping over defenders while trying to avoid a tackle. He has other pictures of himself performing that trick going back to his college days, all displayed together. He calls it his “hurdle wall.”
In many ways, that move also serves as a metaphor for his life. Whenever something stood in his way, he leapt over it. Over time, Mattison built this personal hurdle wall, an invisible testament to a family’s love and devotion to each other, the power of perseverance, and one kid’s refusal to allow difficult circumstances influence his outlook or success.
Raised in a city with high poverty and violent crime rates, Mattison didn’t stumble. He flourished, both in athletics and the classroom in San Bernardino, Calif., where he graduated from a dual immersion program with a 4.57 grade-point average.
When his family struggled financially and experienced brief periods of homelessness, he kept charging forward with the help of a support system that included relatives, coaches and a community that offered its embrace.
More at https://www.startribune.com/vikings-matt...572350982/
