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From Skid Row to Showcase: The Jerimiah Spicer Story
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Stephan Rachuk· June 20, 2019
The XFL Summer Showcase is full of talented prospects, and recently we've had the pleasure of speaking to one of the attendees of this weekends event in Los Angeles.
Jerimiah Spicer is a talented prospect, but it's not the story of his playing career that will make you a fan, it's the story of what he's overcome.
Spicer didn't attend a four-year college, nor did he have scouts calling his phone or knocking on his door. There's not many people that have gone through what Spicer has, but this young man keeps pressing forward.
Born in Skid Row, Los Angeles, Spicer was abandoned by his parents. He was found in a garbage can before being rescued and sent to live in an orphanage. Eventually, Child Protection Services sent Spicer to live with his grandmother, but he quickly found himself back on the street after she unfortunately passed away. Over the next several years, Spicer bounced around between homeless camps, orphanages, two different foster homes, and five different group homes. During this time Spicer had attended eight different high schools.
Undeterred by his lack of hgih school experience, Spicer landed himself a role with Riverside Community College under coach Tom Craft. After college, he drafted into the MLFB (Major League Football), a league that collapsed before Spicer got an opportunity to hit the field. After his short-lived MLFB opportunity, Spicer signed with the Cape Fear Heroes of the American Arena League after a tryout in 2018.
Spicer would go on to lead the league in tackles, as a rookie, racking up 147 tackles throughout the season. This eventually lead to Spicer joining a spot on the All-Star team. Thanks to his game play with the AAL, he gained a lot of attention from NFL teams, including the Los Angeles Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns, and the Los Angeles Chargers.
In the summer of 2018 Spicer worked out with the Cleveland Browns, and back in April of this year he earned a try out with the Los Angeles Chargers and is still up for consideration for a role on the team.
We were lucky enough to have an opportunity to speak with Spicer directly and asked a few questions specifically for this write up.
What has been the biggest obstacle that you've had to overcome?
Surviving adversity.
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What advice can you give to others that may be growing up in a similar situation?
Never give up, never settle, keep going. Though you seem so far, you can be so close but you will never know if you give up. Don't feel sorry for yourself, use your pain and hurt as motivation to take you're next step in life.
If given the choice, which XFL team would you like to play for?
Any team that signs me, but I'm a California native. I would love to put on for California, plus I'm on Linebacker list for the LA CHARGERS AFTER MY WORKOUT in April 2019
Five years from now, where do you see yourself?
Motivational speaking, training kids, giving back to the community and helping people. Making sure kids don't go through what I went through. Foster homes and group homes to try and keep kids out the system with a program I am creating.
Where can fans find you online?
Fans can find me on Twitter @kingstruck24 and Instagram Strucktheworld33
A lot of his supporters feel he is close to being signed to a professional league, and the XFL may be the opportunity he's been looking for. Spicer will be in attendance this Friday in Los Angeles for the XFL Summer Showcase. He is looking to be one of the 300ish players that are signed for the upcoming XFL Draft in October. This is no easy task as there will be over 800 players all vying for the same spot throughout all of the Showcase events.
We love his story, and would like nothing more than to see this young man take his talents to the XFL so he can show the world what he is made of. We've discussed in the past that the XFL isn't only about the quality of plays, but also the quality of the players. Many people who went through the struggles that Spicer has would have given up, but Jerimiah has the will of a warrior and won't stop until he has achieved his goal of playing professional football. We're looking forward to the day when we can update the title to this article from "From Skid Row to Showcase" to "From Rags to Riches".
Jerimiah SpicerLos Angeles WildcatsInterviewXFL
Stephan Rachuk
Owner/Editor XFL Newsroom
Originally from Detroit, I grew up a Lions fan, which has now led me on a lifetime journey to find better football. I'm now living in the greater Houston area and I am one of the few journalists covering spring football. Contact: stephan@rachuk.com
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