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Hello and welcome back to Echoes of the Yard. I'm your host, Kendyl Terrell, a soccer player at Jackson State University, and the podcast will be all sources for things HBCU. From the guests, the topics, the good, the bad, we're going to talk about it all. For this episode, I'm excited to be joined with Keyshawn Lynch, a football player at Norfolk State. Thanks for joining me, Keshawn. How are you? I'm great. How are you? Thank you. I'm good. I'm excited to hear about you. Tell me about yourself. Where are you from, your upbringing? Let me hear a little bit.

I'm from Newport News, Virginia. I've been here my whole life. I guess I could say I traveled the world a lot when I was younger. My mom's an RN. My sister's an RN. She got two kids. My dad's a police officer. In middle school, I used to play the NFL. be in a band and stuff so you know I just I was just like in all different fields but like I guess high school is where I was like I started to migrate to like sports and be like all right football is for me so did you start with football like how did you start playing football uh well I started like in little league which is like elementary school in middle school I played basketball but I was only on the team because my dad was a coach you know I was one of those kids like when they get in the game and you make a shot the whole crowd goes wild like yeah. I probably scored like two points like you're one of those like pity cheers hey hey we won the championship so.

I love that I love that I love that okay so when did you realize you were good enough to play in college?

So my my story is different like in high school um I switched like three schools like every year I switched to school because I was just trying to play so like ninth grade didn't play um tenth grade didn't but I played but only played five games on varsity so then I transferred to another school and then they let me play both ways and then the last year we had COVID so we only had four years I mean we only had four games so um I didn't really have that much experience in general so really once that last season was over in 2021, I didn't really have any offers. I had D2, D3, NAIA then I had a PWO to ODU so I was like why not just go D1? Honestly I didn't think I was good enough but I was like you know just go there and then you know just keep working your way up and then you know you'll eventually make a name for yourself.

Okay so you spent two years there? Yes and then transferred to Norfolk State yes.

So like what led to your decision like to transfer especially to like a school like that's basically down the street? That's a great question. Well I like to make the most of like every opportunity because that's the reason I even went there because really I could have went D2 and you know went to school for like not free. But you know to a certain extent I just went there because it's like all the people that was there like they were uh they're like either in the NFL or like you know you're going against the best of the best so yeah. I mean I just left because I was like you know I was never put in a position to play. We had a spring game and two people got hurt so I was a two oh I think I was a three and they still didn't play so I was like the only reason I got in is because some dude he pulled his helmet off and he hit the other dude with it they put me in the game.

So like what was that like for you? Like I don't know about you but I'm a very competitive spirit. Like I don't know I can't... I don't like watching people play my squirt when I know I can make a big difference, so like where was your mental at? Like how was that for you? Like what was going through your head through that process?

I think I was just in college to like you know get bigger and stronger and faster so like whenever so like when you're on a scout team you uh you just you don't uh do what everybody else does you have four workouts instead of three so for me I was just trying to make sure every every workout I did I made the most of it um I was winning like I was beating the people that was starting like I was coming in second the dude that was beating me he's like two 200 pounds so but but honestly my mental was just like even if if these coaches don't like me here somebody somewhere else will like me so yeah I was just like why not make a name for yourself and whatever you can do like keep your grades up make sure you're good in the weight room be great on the field just just try to take everything you can from like this higher up opportunity.

So okay so why did you choose an HBCU when you transferred? So for me there's like I just thought I just wanted to take the best place for me and know that I was gonna play and then it's just like I don't know I just was like why not Norfolk State? It's right here. I don't have to. It was either Norfolk State or Northwestern State and that's in Louisiana and I was like I don't have no resources out there so just why not be close to home. I know people there my family knows some of the coaches so I was like why not just HBCU? It was more like a comfort like just like a security piece like a safety piece like for yourself and like how you view yourself as a person.

I can relate to that a little bit um my journey was a little bit different I went my senior year of high school for real so I like messed up my knee a little bit so I was out for nine months so I went JUCO and because nobody wants an injured player so I went JUCO but I'm so grateful for my experience and then I went to University of West Florida and like I got there and I think I just realized that HBCU it was always my dream and I was doing what everybody wanted me to do instead of doing what I wanted to do so when I went to Jackson State for me it was like a breath of fresh air like once I once I met my teammates it was like wow like you you can either like me or not like me because of my personality but they never saw skin color and that was really big for me because I played soccer so I'm in a predominantly white sport so you don't see a lot of people that look like me in my sport so it was just a breath of fresh air for me. Okay so what was the biggest difference between the two schools you would say?

Oh the food the food what so what about the food what's your favorite food that Norfolk State uh gives you okay so like it's like the variety you know ODU it's like the the good thing that they have is breakfast I can never miss breakfast that was great but anything else it was just like all right but but Norfolk State you know we got fried chicken Thursday you know what I'm saying so what fried chicken Thursdays hold on we got fried chicken Wednesday see that's y'all problem y'all y'all go too early you you want to feed us on that Thursday so then Friday can enjoy the weekend no Wednesday you have fried chicken Friday you have fried fish come on now we bougie over here see we got Friday as fish too but I don't like fish so I don't really care about it so like okay how would you rate your overall experience as a student you want me to tell you the truth or what yes be real as real as you want to be I give it a six to it eight I don't know six seven eight so we're gonna round it out about like a 7.3 7.4 we'll give it like a median okay so now as an athlete maybe it's a little better.

You can be completely honest eight let's just go to eight okay we'll go with eight so do you think playing for an HBCU has made college sports easier for you or harder for you um dang like you about to make me throw my school under the bus but it's just like the only problem my school is like it's so unorganized so I don't want to put my school under the bus it's not just yours I don't want to put my school under the bus no it's like whatever you're comfortable with whatever you want to talk about like it's not really necessarily throwing them under the bus it's about your experience um I think it's it's not necessarily throwing them under the bus it's about your experience you're doing something different like I said I feel more like I feel like a brotherhood if we're being honest um to a certain extent there was nothing wrong while resonance oh my God for being honest You're supposed to have a brotherhood.

That's like you're supposed to is made so autonomy for some team I feel from Hornets it's not going to happen at all Honestly, I personally say like it's kind of like a step down, honestly, but it's not that bad of a step down. It's like the resources we have are very different compared to like a PWI or I guess FBS because that's what ODU is. So like when tutor like for ODU, we would have like tutors ready for us in like different rooms. We would have objective sheets like if I if I needed, let's say I had homework. They would take my computer, like my login, and they would like put out all the work I have to do for that week. And then I got to check out and stuff like that.

But like when I got to my other school, it was more of like, you know, you just kind of on your own. It's like you either do the work or you don't. You know what I'm saying? And then the only way that we watch you is like if you're failing. But at ODU, like if you're failing, they're going to tell your coach. He'll put it on the screen. He show everybody. So it's like for me, that was my motivation in the back. Because like. I don't want to be put on the screen. I was probably put up there twice, but I made these. I guess another thing is like the weight room, but that's that's expected. But honestly, it's like ODU, you have like a big weight room.

You got nice two fields outside. And then North State, you know, it's kind of it's kind of a small weight room, but we make the most of what we got. So I'm not playing it, but it could always be better. And then I would say. I guess it. I don't know. For me, I say teachers. And the only reason I'm saying that is because I was just about to ask you, like, what do you think your professors like care more at your HBCU or they cared more? No, they don't care. Really? Right. ODU. Oh, wait. OK, I cheated. She caught me cheating and it was in the dance class. And she was like, I'm going to let you redo this. I was like, OK, thank you.

But I'm at North State and I missed the exam. And I told him why I missed it. He was like, you need to go talk to the dean of students. My reason I missed it is because my granddad was in the hospital and my aunt, she just got hurt. And he told me, you got to go talk to the dean of students. I talked to the dean of students. She told me, oh, we can't help you because the last day to help you was last Friday. Then I talked to the head dude and I sent him the pictures of my reason. He says, we are declining that. I said, what? Keep in mind, I'm about to fail. So now my head coach calling me. He's talking about, did you miss the exam?

I said, yeah. So honestly, I just feel like, and it's not even that situation. I just know my ODU teachers, they're more lenient to me. They're more helpful and they have more time. At NSU, you go to one class and then the teachers got to leave. They got to go. You're either at their office hours or you're not. At ODU, they can sit in there and they'll help you. I just feel like, yeah. Honestly, I just feel like they're more hands on. OK. That's more like helpful because in my eyes, like I don't, even though they're hands on and they like stay after and like, is that more like catering and babying to you? And then like at the HBCU, it's like, so do you have black professors? I'm assuming.

A mix. A mix. OK. So do you think like at your HBCU, they actually push you to do it yourself and push you to be knowledgeable? No. Really? Interesting. I wouldn't say so. Not at all. So do you think they're more strict at ODU? They keep you, they hold you more accountable? Yes, for sure. Because like, let's say, let's say I feel like I did bad. I would have to do like 50 up downs or something. You know what I'm saying? Like they, they on me. Like, it's like you, you got somebody watching over you all the time. Or like, let's say I was late for a lift. I got 50 up downs. But like, let's say I messed up in class or talked bad to a teacher and then teacher emailed my coach.

I got to do something called dawn patrol. I'm not going to talk about that. Cause that's punishment. So, you know what I'm saying? It's like, I had stuff to be scared of, but here it's like, I'm just here. You know what I'm saying? Either you pass all your classes and be on the team or I don't know. I'm just here. That's how I feel. I just feel like I'm here. So how are you using football to prepare you for like the life beyond college? That's a great question. But personally, I think, um, um, I really just be mentoring kids. Honestly, like, that's what I do. Um, like, so I work at this place called Norfolk Indoor and we like, it's an indoor sports place and we like train kids.

We, uh, do birthday parties, stuff like that. And then I always go to this high school and I go, I'm a coach there for them for the, um, sometimes. And then I like train with them. So I just feel like I'm just using it to help the younger people or like, that's how I would describe it. Okay. Okay. So let's now like get beyond. Okay. Let's talk about athletics a little bit. A little birdie told me you spoke at the 2024 NCAA convention. Tell me about that. I really want to know all about your experience. Um, okay. So the fact that I even got to go was a blessing, right? Really? So how it happened was I was on this thing called NIL Island with, um, two people.

Their name was Christy Dosh and Leah Clapper. So they pretty much, uh, selected people to be on it that like, you know, like, you know, they're like, you know, they're like, you know, they're like, you know, they're like, they're like, you know, they're like, you know, they're like, you know, they're like, I actually care about NILs and stuff. And they teach you how to like, you know, go from like none to like work, work your way to get more and stuff like that. So pretty much I was the one that the only person following up with them, you know, like constantly texting them, just trying to figure out what I could do. And then Christy's pretty much said that she liked my, like my attitude.

And then she was like, um, I want you to speak at the NCAA convention with me. I was like, what? I'm scared. I'm scared. But I've started learning. and like how to be the best me and i was just like god put me in that position for a reason so yeah take it and run with it honestly so and then of course she chose you and wanted you to speak your personality is huge like i can tell it's like it's just really out there and i think you'd make a really big difference the first day i got there i didn't know what i was doing and then i met my ad we went to

go eat and she pretty much like told me like how to control the stage and like how to you know talk and have the crowd on your side so i was watching videos trying to figure out how to talk on the stage calling my mom because my mom used to be a teacher so i know being a teacher you got to um control the room so really um once i got in there it was like four four different rows i got a picture if y'all want to use it as b-roll and i was like oh lord there was like you ready i said no they put the mic on me i was

like is this on i'm so nervous and i'm shaking and stuff i'm talking fast but then i just like started to get used to it but i feel like it was a great opportunity and then after it was over we had like this thing at night where everybody comes to eat like everybody like that's there and everybody was coming up to me and they were like um you did so good um you mind if i use your video to show my students and then one dude was like i've never even heard about nils i'm like what and you're you're an ad but yeah that was definitely a blessing for real so wow i love that i love that for you okay so we can't control a lot of things in our lives but we can't control a lot of things in our lives

but we can control how we respond to opportunities so how would you say you've made the most of your opportunities um just being persistent and consistent like let's say um it could be anything honestly like let's say uh i go to your business to go eat i would just try to talk to the manager i literally will ask the waiter where's the manager like that's that's just me or if they have a career fair i don't i don't look at that for a future job i look at it as an nil opportunity so i just i just i just use everything that comes to me or like let's say you just posted nil i'm

gonna ask you how you got it so it's like i just gotta figure out how people are getting it and how can i push myself out there because you gotta think about it nils is really word to mouth because it's like if i'm a brand you'd be like i like that basketball player that's cool they're gonna they don't want to talk to you so okay so what advice could you give to like other hbcu student athletes or future student athletes when it comes to taking advantage of opportunities like that um honestly i just say try to one put yourself out there and make a name for yourself because at the end of the day, even if you don't play you know you can still you can still make a name for yourself off the field with your grades with the people you talk to like how you treat people because like let's say you lose a game and then you just walk in the locker room and someone asks you dap them up or something you know i could be i could be the owner of tesla or something you know what i'm saying but you you don't want to talk to me you don't want to talk to me you don't want to talk to me so it's just like making the most of every opportunity that like comes to you

and then just trying to take advice from like other people on your team but if no one on your team has it i don't know just ask around that's what i do because no matter my team or my school has nils honestly so okay so before i get to the last question is there anything about your story that you would like to share like something that you think would genuinely impact people because like my story is like when i was 15 years old i lost my dad um at a really young age it's i'm the youngest of four my mom is a single parent and it was just honestly such a struggle just trying to balance the her pain for all of us i have a twin in the same year like same age getting us to college like we were more the type of family like you gotta find a way to get to college or you're not going so we were very like big in the athletic world so anything you want to tell me about like growing up like how it was with your family like anything i'm sorry for your loss first of all that's no no you're fine you're fine i just give all my credit to my mom my dad and my uncle right so my mom because she worked three jobs when i was a kid, she was a foster parent a teacher and she was working to be an rm now she's all right and then my dad and my uncle because my uncle took me to the gym 10th grade all the time he's like always there like right after um practice we go straight to the gym and i was stronger than most people um then my dad he didn't really take this depth of my motivator and he always talks to me every day and stuff like that no just credit to my sister you know but she don't she don't really get involved in my sports but she still support me heavily you know when it comes to everything else

but what people can take away or like what advice i have for people honestly i just feel like to go from high school and walk on to a d1 school and then just like make it out i'm not saying you can't make it out but um i just feel like anybody else can do it you know because i got 26 um and and counting we going up yeah i went to a black student athlete summit i went to athlete con i spoke at the ncaa convention um i spoke in my school so i just feel like if i can go from a walk-on to be able to do stuff like this in what a year then i mean honestly anybody can do it honestly like you just gotta put the work in i'm not saying that nobody deserves it but it's just like you know everybody's different everybody's upbringing is different so right so our last question is presented by our sponsor cricket wireless so shout out to cricket a proud supporter of hbcu culture and community how has going to the hbcu influenced the person you are today i just feel like it has made me learn who i am as a person and like help me embrace my culture more you know what i'm saying because like it's different coming from pwi because you don't have to learn about african-american history classes like that's the first thing i had to do when i got there i didn't know the statue of liberty was somebody else before it was a black it was a black lady if you didn't know that really yes yes that's one thing i did learn everything else went through on here but but yeah um and then i feel like the coach like the family like the fans um they like they're always supportive so like i feel like i have somebody always in my ear like that's one thing that's the hbcu culture definitely brings and the band the band the band it's not the sonic boom but i mean no i mean at the end of the day you can you can you can look up who the best band is in hbcu and you're going to know who played for who played for drake and usher that's cool y'all not playing in the christmas day parade though what what are we talking about ain't no comparison unless unless y'all fan me but we played them first so i don't talk much.

Well thanks for joining me, Keshawn. I enjoyed hearing your story and thank you for sharing with our listeners. Listeners, thank you for tuning in make sure you rate review and subscribe so you don't miss out on more Echoes of the Yard presented by Cricket Wireless. Thank y'all so much.