SPIRE Summer 2019

A ntonio Dawkins had his “procedure” down to a science. He always made sure to shower after football practice. He’d walk outside with teammates before doubling back, saying he forgot something in the boys’ PE locker room. On his way out, he’d prop the door open. Then he’d wait outside, fending off occasional questions by saying he was waiting for his ride home. There was no ride. Most of the time, there was no home. When everyone left, Dawkins would walk to the outdoor entrance of the locker room. He’d enter, close the door behind him, and settle in for the night.

Dawkins hid the fact he was homeless from coaches and teammates at Fort Mill (S.C.) High School - that he had been, on and off, since he was a freshman. He felt comfortable enough around, but not enough to reveal the struggles he faced once the school day ended. “It’s easy to say that I could have gotten help,” Dawkins told Sporting News. “Sixteen, 17, 18, years old, that’s one of the most embarrassing things, to come to somebody and say, ‘Hey, me and my family are homeless, can you take me in?’” When Dawkins first arrived as a junior at Fort Mill in December 2012, his mother, Brandy Freeman, worked a contract job that allowed herself, Dawkins and his young sister to stay in a hotel near the school. When she lost work, she stayed with family in North Carolina - too far away for Dawkins to find reliable transportation. So, he’d stay with friends, if possible. It wasn’t always. For a weeklong stretch, he sneaked into the locker room at night so he’d have a place to sleep. “If I can, I’m going to try to go to one of my friend’s houses,” Dawkins recounted. “If not, then I have got to do my normal procedure.” Dawkins no longer has to hide the circumstances of his home life: He’s living in Atlanta, training in hopes of playing professional football. That’s after leaving Bluefield College (VA), where he played football and in December graduated with degrees in interdisciplinary studies and mass communications.

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