Daniel-Gilbert Salomon '18 Recruiting Profile

I am going into my senior year at Tucson high school with a desire to give back to my community and I can do that through sports. I plan on attending college to pursue a degree in Botany. I am Native American and Mexican American and want to preserve my reservation and hometown of Tucson. 

Through my life I was told I would never be able to play sports, never be able to run across a football field or be a normal kid. I caught the chicken pocks one week after I was born and suffered damage to my lung. Doctors told my parents sports were not an option. Growing up I was the chubby kid pushing myself to my limits to do what I loved; despite what the doctors said. I was determined even at that age to defy odds. I started playing popwearner at the age of 8 as a lineman, coaches didn’t give me the opportunity to play any other positions because I was seen as slow and fat, but that never stopped me. I continued to push myself and tried out for strong safety and running back my freshman year and made it. Throughout my high school experience, I only became stronger and more confident in those positions. I saw that I was actually making a difference in game time situations and contributing to my team.

I know that anything is possible through heart, passion and the willingness to succeed, which is why I would be a great asset to your team.