A spotlight of my own

My story begins in little old Buffalo, New York in the winter of ‘92. I was born into a tight-nit, good ole American family. I was the only girl besides my mother. I was the baby, 5 years separated me and my 2 older brothers who were only separated by a year, who were also supreme athletes, like my father.

My father, Tyler Sr. Jeno, was drafted into the NFL straight out of high school, to the Buffalo Bills. He was a “god” in buffalo while he played. People looked up to him, people wanted to be him, they would do anything they could to get a glimpse of him my mother would say.

Mom was born in Buffalo and met my father while she was still studying at Niagara University. They had fallen in love almost instantly they’d tell me, my mother was smart though, she wouldn’t let any man stop her dreams and that included my father. She finished her liberal arts degree and moved in with my father and married shortly after. They were the iconic American family and still are.

Both my brothers followed in my dad’s footsteps becoming all-star football players. My older brother, Tyler Jr., or just Junior as I call him, was the high schools star quarterback ever since he was a freshman while, Dominic, was a wide receiver. Both broke not only the high school’s records but our section and state records. They had college coaches calling every night begging for either of them, it was a little ridiculous if you ask me. Junior decided to take up the full-ride scholarship Florida University offered him while Dominic went to a smaller school, Texas Christian University in hopes of bringing them their first National Championship.

Junior and Dominic won both their schools National Titles in the respective senior years. Junior ended up getting drafted 1st round at the 2009 NFL draft by the one and only Buffalo Bills. You can only imagine how happy the town and my family was. It was as if all of Buffalo let out a collective cheer when they announced on the news. I remember vividly my father hugging my brother and tears streaming down his face as Junior placed the Bills hat on his head. It was one of the happiest moments in my family’s story and one no one would ever forget.

This past summer Dominic was also drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2010 NFL draft after leading TCU to their 1st ever National Championship. He had broken every wide-receiver’s record in both TCU’s and the NCAA record book. My father cheered just as loud for Dom when he put the hat with a navy star on. How could he not be happy, both his sons had reached somewhere many people only dream about.

I was as happy for my brothers as my mother and dad but I never really understood football, I could never play football either because I was a girl and my father made sure of that. My mother and father encouraged me to become a cheerleader, what was more perfect? It was only perfect in their eyes though. I hated it the moment I started Pop-Warner. I decided at the very young age of 5 that I’d rather spend my time on the frozen water at local buffalo rinks.