Athletes that decide to play their sport at the collegiate level don’t just need to be good at their sport; they also need to be driven by passion. 

Josh Flowers, junior defensive-back on the football team, said, “the love of the game for me really started in highschool.” 

Finding his passion for football started at Glenbard North High with his friends and teammates.

“I was surrounded by a bunch of friends and we all really started taking football seriously and with football it could bring a lot of positive things, like scholarships and education,” Flowers said.

Flowers’ intense drive for the sport rooted his freshman year of high school, according to Flowers.

“It was really just me and my friends talking about it everyday,” Flowers said. “Always going to the field and all trying to make it to the next level..” 

While being able to practice together with those who had the same passion and common interest as him himself, Flowers found where his inspiration originated from. 

“I feel like it was my friends and the people I surrounded myself with,” Flowers said. “We didn’t have anyone to look up to, we were more of the people that other people could look up to,” Flowers said.

By leading by example for his community in hopes of those who are following in his footsteps, Flowers made sure to be someone the younger generation could look up to. 

“My main goal right now really is just getting my degree. Football … can help me meet people and make lifelong friendships.The lessons you learn, especially in college, learning how to work hard being on a very structured schedule,” Flowers said.