LaVaughn Kelley

Oh, that was a hard decision. Leave it to my own guidance, I would have never went to the academy. My mentors, one of my biggest mentors, Wayne Blair, was probably my biggest supporter to drive me in that era. Coming from South Florida, I mean, I'm a Miami Hurricanes fan, right? So growing up, I mean, I'm Afro, I'm Blurry in the back, everything, you know?

So to see me transform and getting that first haircut, cutting my hair all off to go to that realm. My dad was in the Air Force for a 23 years. So I caught the back end of his service and time. So never really saw like the deployments and away from home kind of trying to drive from him. But I had a little bit of what military was about, right? Not how it interacts, right?

So to see me transform and getting that first haircut, cutting my hair all off to go to that realm. My dad was in the Air Force for a 23 years. So I caught the back end of his service and time. So never really saw like the deployments and away from home kind of trying to drive from him. But I had a little bit of what military was about, right? Not how it interacts, right?

So to see me transform and getting that first haircut, cutting my hair all off to go to that realm. My dad was in the Air Force for a 23 years. So I caught the back end of his service and time. So never really saw like the deployments and away from home kind of trying to drive from him. But I had a little bit of what military was about, right? Not how it interacts, right?

And I never really had that exposure. So taking that ride was never on my radar. Even when they came to school, offer letters, I put them in a shoebox and threw them to the side, right? Never really paid attention to it. But as time went on, like I said, I was definitely a Hurricane fan. They didn't come around, right? I wasn't at that caliber yet, right? I was small, right?

And I never really had that exposure. So taking that ride was never on my radar. Even when they came to school, offer letters, I put them in a shoebox and threw them to the side, right? Never really paid attention to it. But as time went on, like I said, I was definitely a Hurricane fan. They didn't come around, right? I wasn't at that caliber yet, right? I was small, right?

And I never really had that exposure. So taking that ride was never on my radar. Even when they came to school, offer letters, I put them in a shoebox and threw them to the side, right? Never really paid attention to it. But as time went on, like I said, I was definitely a Hurricane fan. They didn't come around, right? I wasn't at that caliber yet, right? I was small, right?

I was always the underdog trying to drive up and get that eye, right? Trying to prove myself, should I say. But my mentor, he went to Tulane, so he knew the kind of regular morals of going to be a collegiate student, play for the CFL for a little while as well. So, you know, Florida big football, so... Yeah, I want to go to the league, too.

I was always the underdog trying to drive up and get that eye, right? Trying to prove myself, should I say. But my mentor, he went to Tulane, so he knew the kind of regular morals of going to be a collegiate student, play for the CFL for a little while as well. So, you know, Florida big football, so... Yeah, I want to go to the league, too.

I was always the underdog trying to drive up and get that eye, right? Trying to prove myself, should I say. But my mentor, he went to Tulane, so he knew the kind of regular morals of going to be a collegiate student, play for the CFL for a little while as well. So, you know, Florida big football, so... Yeah, I want to go to the league, too.

You know, that was always something in the back of my mind to kind of keep going. But he saw the bigger picture and I never saw it. Right. And he wanted to make sure that I was in that place. And my parents, of course, they were driving. They want me to be happy wherever I went. Right. So we took some school visits. UCF, FIU was getting a new program again. prominent.

You know, that was always something in the back of my mind to kind of keep going. But he saw the bigger picture and I never saw it. Right. And he wanted to make sure that I was in that place. And my parents, of course, they were driving. They want me to be happy wherever I went. Right. So we took some school visits. UCF, FIU was getting a new program again. prominent.

You know, that was always something in the back of my mind to kind of keep going. But he saw the bigger picture and I never saw it. Right. And he wanted to make sure that I was in that place. And my parents, of course, they were driving. They want me to be happy wherever I went. Right. So we took some school visits. UCF, FIU was getting a new program again. prominent.

So he was offering us and kind of talking our way through. But I mean, my mother really left it to me to kind of figure that piece out. So with him and prayer, a whole lot of prayer, I was able to make that decision. Went to the prep school first. I went to Rhode Island. Never been a road out of my life. Right. It's snowing in October. I'm a Florida, right? Yeah.

So he was offering us and kind of talking our way through. But I mean, my mother really left it to me to kind of figure that piece out. So with him and prayer, a whole lot of prayer, I was able to make that decision. Went to the prep school first. I went to Rhode Island. Never been a road out of my life. Right. It's snowing in October. I'm a Florida, right? Yeah.

So he was offering us and kind of talking our way through. But I mean, my mother really left it to me to kind of figure that piece out. So with him and prayer, a whole lot of prayer, I was able to make that decision. Went to the prep school first. I went to Rhode Island. Never been a road out of my life. Right. It's snowing in October. I'm a Florida, right? Yeah.

So I'm, listen, I'm in the orange Dickie shorts, some Nikes and watching this snow come down in October. Didn't know what I was doing. Right. Didn't know what to do other than stay inside. Right. Stay warm. Yeah. But got through that first year and then really had to make a decision. Okay, now I was on to Naval Academy.

So I'm, listen, I'm in the orange Dickie shorts, some Nikes and watching this snow come down in October. Didn't know what I was doing. Right. Didn't know what to do other than stay inside. Right. Stay warm. Yeah. But got through that first year and then really had to make a decision. Okay, now I was on to Naval Academy.

So I'm, listen, I'm in the orange Dickie shorts, some Nikes and watching this snow come down in October. Didn't know what I was doing. Right. Didn't know what to do other than stay inside. Right. Stay warm. Yeah. But got through that first year and then really had to make a decision. Okay, now I was on to Naval Academy.

And it's from the guys that I met there, the football team and the nucleus we started to build. And we were winning. We did pretty well for ourselves. So we knew that we could go in as a unit and change the program. And that was our expectation. So we did it. We went on. Our first year was, of course, still rough. We didn't win any game by freshman year. So that was something new to me.