There can be a lot of adversity that you can go through throughout your life, but sometimes it can be a humbling moment for you. Get yourself back up and do what you want to do in life despite the hardships that you go through.”
One must possess a certain physical and mental toughness to succeed in football. Every rep matters and must be played like it is your last.
Overcoming adversity on the field is not just expected; it is a requirement, whether from a busted play, fighting for a spot on the depth chart, or going through intense practice sessions intended to test your stamina to its limits.
In many ways, it parallels life: you will face challenges that will set you back, but you will come back stronger by handling them the right way.
For Courtney Lamas-Lanier, safety on the Florida Atlantic football team, any day-to-day adversity that occurs on the field pales in comparison to the challenge of life that struck him from birth.
In June of 2024, Lamas-Lanier was named a recipient of the Wilma Rudolph Student-Athlete Achievement Award, given by the National Association of Academic and Student-Athlete Development Professionals, to those who have overcome significant on and off-the-field challenges.
“It means a lot to me. I think the award is very special to me, my life, and my family because they all supported me,” Lamas-Lanier said.
No one exemplifies the meaning of this award as much as Lamas-Lanier. He was born in 2001 under challenging circumstances to a mother struggling with substance abuse and being separated from his father. His mom’s life was cut short by a hit-and-run accident when he was just eight years old, and much of his childhood was horrifically plagued by further tragic deaths of two aunts and multiple cousins.
Surrounded by the temptation of gang life growing up in Goulds, Florida, Lamas-Lanier instead put his head down and got to work on the football field.
“I saw how good I was, coaches saw how good I was, so I stuck with it throughout Pop Warner, high school, and now in college…I just love the game, what comes with it, the study of it, being able to go out on the field and dominate my opponent,” Lamas-Lanier said.
Lamas-Lanier credits his faith in God and life lessons from his grandparents for ultimately keeping him on the right path.
“My grandma and grandad always instilled in me to just do what is right. Don’t go out there trying to cause trouble because of the environment we were already living in. Sometimes there will be mistakes, and you can make up for it,” Lamas-Lanier said.
His hard work earned him a spot on the Christopher Columbus High School (Miami) football team, where his play resulted in Division I scholarship offers.
But adversity struck again, both on and off the field. Lamas-Lanier spent his junior season on the sidelines with a torn ACL. In the summer entering his senior year, Lamas-Lanier was shot, flatlined twice in the hospital, and was told by multiple doctors he would never play football again. But the unmatched determination never wavered.
From the sidelines, he rallied a team facing more hardships, including the death of a fellow teammate. Lamas-Lanier returned to the field in time for the playoffs and led Columbus to their first state championship victory, overcoming a 20-7 deficit with just four minutes remaining. It was a challenge that almost any spectator would deem impossible, but miraculous comebacks defined his entire upbringing; it was only fitting that his high school career ended similarly.
After seasons at East Coast Prep and Lake Erie, Lamas-Lanier returned to South Florida in 2022 as a walk-on for the Florida Atlantic football team, where he is now about to enter his third year as an Owl.
Lamas-Lanier attended a ceremony in Las Vegas to receive his trophy as a Wilma Randolph Award recipient. Accompanying him were two teammates who have substantially impacted his life since their days as teammates at Columbus High School and now as Owls: Offensive linemen Federico Maranges and Andre Lamas. The latter is whom Courtney now shares part of his last name after the Lamas family took him in as one of their own.
The three share an unbreakable bond and enjoy their Florida Atlantic experience as teammates and roommates.
“Our relationship has grown here at FAU. They showed me the ropes and how to accomplish things because they had already been there when I came in. The bond is crazy; we’re always having fun and doing things around the house, just having that brotherhood that Columbus instilled in us,” Lamas-Lanier said.
With two seasons of eligibility remaining as a student-athlete, Lamas-Lanier now looks toward 2024. While he carries his individual goal of earning a scholarship, he remains a team-first player, and his desire to give back to the community shapes his mentality on the field.
“I want to help the Boca Raton community win a championship, just to bring everybody together. It would be good to bring back a trophy.”
Whenever his playing career ends, he sees his future in a life of public service, specifically as a firefighter.
“It goes back to my determination to help people and better their lives around the community wherever I end up working. I would like to help put out fires and do a lot of great things in the community,” Lamas-Lanier said.
But for now, Lamas-Lanier continues his football journey and hopes his story will inspire others facing a life challenge on any scale.
“There can be a lot of adversity that you can go through throughout your life, but sometimes it can be a humbling moment for you. Get yourself back up and do what you want to do in life despite the hardships that you go through.”
