If there is something so powerful that can cut one’s future it would be drugs. One reason why drug addiction is deemed as a serious problem is because of the fact that it can affect the person in all aspects. This means that has something to do with one’s life and this means destroying it. It’s not the first time that one’s future has been cut short because of drug addiction. It is even more sad because it’s that of a youth who could have done so much in his life.
Derek Hatcher from Jacksonville dreamed to be a professional football player. In fact, he was doing so fine. But as soon as he got access to drugs everything changed. In spite of being aware of the dangers of drugs, he still went on to use it which led him to do things that landed him in jail. The worse thing is, in spite of having addiction treatment centers that could have helped him, Derek took things in his hand and had an overdose.
Click the link to read the article.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Derek Hatcher dreamed of playing professional football.
He was well on his way to being a real contender. He earned the starting quarterback position at Ridgeview High School several years ago and helped lead the team to win the 2008 district championship. He became one of Clay County’s all-time leading passers.
“He had a special talent and football was his talent, but he also had a great personality,” Derek’s mother, Debbie Rizer, said. “He was so funny.”
Addiction begins
Debbie warned her son about the dangers of drugs, but when he left to play college football, he became addicted to pain medication.
“Derek had access to pain pills everywhere,” Debbie said. “It was all over the football field.”
That addiction led him to try recreational drugs. He became hooked on cocaine after attending a college fraternity party.
Derek said his college buddies assured him when they offered him drugs, “It won’t kill ya. It won’t hurt ya.”
They were wrong.
Derek later told students he was mentoring that he had no idea “one line” would turn into four years of a nightmare.
He was kicked out of college for drug use and returned to Jacksonville, depressed and defeated. His dreams of ever playing professional football were gone.
“He came home and got worse because he found that drugs in Jacksonville were cheaper than they were in North Carolina,” his mother said.
Derek eventually was arrested and served six months in jail…
