Untold Athletes: Wahid Nabi – Football

Wahid Nabi is a senior quarterback on the Ithaca College football team and is from Latham, N.Y. Nabi is majoring in business administration with a concentration in finance, and has set school records for most passing yards (524) and touchdowns (six) in a single game while on South Hill. Nabi was also named Liberty League Rookie of the Year in 2017.

Football became a passion for me in 8th grade. It was my first year playing quarterback and my second playing football. It was the first time, athletically, that I felt that I had accomplished something. Football has meant a lot to me. It has taught me the values of hard work and teamwork. It’s a sport that the outcome is a direct result of the process in which you apply yourself.

I think my story is unique because I started playing a little late, and was fortunate enough to start as a freshman in college. Being put into that position so early in my career made me grow up very fast. I have had the obstacles most individuals face in my career. Being in a weird funk, losing confidence, and questioning how good I really was. I also had the obstacle early on of being a football player that was first generation. Not having parents that understood what was going on, family that didn’t relate with the sport and what I was doing. Odd looks at camps was very normal because I didn’t look like any other quarterback there.

I think in all aspects of life, the way that you respond to a situation is your opportunity to learn and to grow. I want people to know that no matter how much you may feel that chips are stacked against you, that you have to have that inner drive and that inner confidence to do your best. I think that football has allowed me to be a part of something that I always dreamed of. Being a part of a group of guys that are truly your brothers and that you would do anything for you. I have had a great time feeling open enough to talk about my culture with them.

I hope that the future of sports and the world is truly what Dr. King said. To judge people not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. The athletics world has always been a special place in that everyone has different backgrounds, but everyone comes together to achieve one common goal.

My role model has to be Muhammad Ali. What he did in his time to put his foot down and say: This is me, take it or leave it because I am not changing, was extremely inspiring. He was at the forefront.

The new normal is just trying to figure out life after school. All good things come to an end and it’s time to move on into the real world. I definitely miss playing football and I wish that we got our chance to play this year.