Photo: #51, Kwame Akkebala, 6-4/255, Center, Soph, Jones HS, Orlando, FL , prepares for each game with a team prayer.
By St. Clair Murraine, DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER
A few times each week, Kwame Akkebala gets a phone call from his brothers. Sometimes it's a "How are you doing" kind of conversation, but most times big brother Kwan wants to get into Akkebala's head.
He wants to be sure Akkebala, an offensive center, isn't slacking in his assignment with the FAMU football team. It doesn't change when they get together, either.
"I go home now and he will go jogging with me," Akkebala said. "He pushes me. He makes sure I get my work in."
But Kwan, a former player at FAMU, isn't the only one who Akkebala hears from. Kwan and the oldest of the three brothers, Kwakou, have been the father figures in Akkebala's life for some time, especially after their mother's suicide three years ago.
A year after his mother's death, Akkebala's world took another topsy-turvy spin when his father succumbed to cancer. Akkebala, now 19, was 16 at the time. Just recently he lost his grandfather.
Football became his reprieve as he copes with the losses. He keeps on playing because of the strength he drew from his parents, Akkebala said.
"When my mother passed, my father was there and because we went through that it was easier the second time with my father," he said. "The main thing they always taught us is making sure we kept our heads up; stay unified. They taught us well so we were able to bounce back."
His brothers have not been more than a phone call away for the sophomore from Orlando Jones High School. But there are times when he wants to go it alone. It's something he has to get used to, Akkebala said.
"I get what I need myself," he said. "I see it both as a strength and a weakness because, yes, you shouldn't have to ask anybody, but that third time you should ask for help. That's just something I have to learn and I know I need to."
When he isn't looking for support from his brothers, he gets it from the coaches at FAMU. Coach Rubin Carter said he and his staff have become father-figures of sorts for Akkebala.
"It's important for him to have the feeling of a family atmosphere with people who will support him to help him achieve his goal," Carter said.
Akkebala is a model student-athlete, Carter said. He came to FAMU with all sorts of academic accolades, having taken college courses while he was in high school. Academics remains a priority, said Akkebala, who is majoring in engineering.
"I don't have to worry about Kwame being out late at night," Carter said. "His character is not in question; I know exactly where he's going to be. He's going to be on time for everything."
Akkebala's role with the Rattlers has changed since he joined the team as a defensive lineman. He started this season at offensive center, replacing injured Steve Brazzle.
While he's played on the offensive line in high school, he's adjusted quickly to the faster pace in college. He's gradually finding his niche at center, he said.
"I've got to have mental toughness because you have to react and see everything on the field," he said. "I've got to be able to look back at the quarterback and make sure he is getting his ball. It takes a lot of everything."
A few times each week, Kwame Akkebala gets a phone call from his brothers. Sometimes it's a "How are you doing" kind of conversation, but most times big brother Kwan wants to get into Akkebala's head.
He wants to be sure Akkebala, an offensive center, isn't slacking in his assignment with the FAMU football team. It doesn't change when they get together, either.
"I go home now and he will go jogging with me," Akkebala said. "He pushes me. He makes sure I get my work in."
But Kwan, a former player at FAMU, isn't the only one who Akkebala hears from. Kwan and the oldest of the three brothers, Kwakou, have been the father figures in Akkebala's life for some time, especially after their mother's suicide three years ago.
A year after his mother's death, Akkebala's world took another topsy-turvy spin when his father succumbed to cancer. Akkebala, now 19, was 16 at the time. Just recently he lost his grandfather.
Football became his reprieve as he copes with the losses. He keeps on playing because of the strength he drew from his parents, Akkebala said.
"When my mother passed, my father was there and because we went through that it was easier the second time with my father," he said. "The main thing they always taught us is making sure we kept our heads up; stay unified. They taught us well so we were able to bounce back."
His brothers have not been more than a phone call away for the sophomore from Orlando Jones High School. But there are times when he wants to go it alone. It's something he has to get used to, Akkebala said.
"I get what I need myself," he said. "I see it both as a strength and a weakness because, yes, you shouldn't have to ask anybody, but that third time you should ask for help. That's just something I have to learn and I know I need to."
When he isn't looking for support from his brothers, he gets it from the coaches at FAMU. Coach Rubin Carter said he and his staff have become father-figures of sorts for Akkebala.
"It's important for him to have the feeling of a family atmosphere with people who will support him to help him achieve his goal," Carter said.
Akkebala is a model student-athlete, Carter said. He came to FAMU with all sorts of academic accolades, having taken college courses while he was in high school. Academics remains a priority, said Akkebala, who is majoring in engineering.
"I don't have to worry about Kwame being out late at night," Carter said. "His character is not in question; I know exactly where he's going to be. He's going to be on time for everything."
Akkebala's role with the Rattlers has changed since he joined the team as a defensive lineman. He started this season at offensive center, replacing injured Steve Brazzle.
While he's played on the offensive line in high school, he's adjusted quickly to the faster pace in college. He's gradually finding his niche at center, he said.
"I've got to have mental toughness because you have to react and see everything on the field," he said. "I've got to be able to look back at the quarterback and make sure he is getting his ball. It takes a lot of everything."
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