From the Field to the Classroom: Life after Football a New Game to Play: The Dr. Shedrick D. McCall, Jr. Story

by Shedrick McCall

Overview

What do you do when the game you love turns on you and nearly takes your life?

In From the Field to the Classroom, Dr. Shedrick D. McCall, Jr. delivers a powerful football memoir that chronicles his journey from promising athlete to college professor. Growing up in the inner city of Richmond, Virginia, football was more than a sport. It was his identity, his escape, and his dream. But after a traumatic brain injury on the field, everything changed. Suddenly, life after sports was not a choice. It was a necessity.

This inspirational memoir explores McCall’s painful but transformative pivot from gridiron glory to academic purpose. He reflects on his path through injury recovery, faith, education, and becoming a tenured professor, mentor, and role model. Along the way, he shines a light on head injury recovery, the power of inner-city resilience, and the importance of supporting Black youth in both athletics and academics.

McCall’s voice is raw and authentic, speaking directly to athletes navigating transition, educators shaping futures, and readers searching for stories of perseverance and faith. His narrative is both a testimony and a call to action. It reminds us that purpose does not always look like the dream we had. It often becomes something greater.

If you are drawn to stories about overcoming adversity, football, education, or African-American inspiration, From the Field to the Classroom is your next unforgettable read.

Order your copy today and start your own journey of transformation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798823033404
Publisher:	AuthorHouse
Publication date:	01/19/2025
Pages:	82
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.17(d)

About the Author

Dr. Shedrick D. McCall, Jr never imagined that my life would develop in this way. I had assumed that I would be a running back with the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League. I never thought my ambition of being a professional football player would not come true. I currently work as a tenured associate professor of psychology at Virginia State University and have a wonderful family. I give thanks to God for my wife, Shannon, my children, Shedrick III, Madison, my mother, Roslyn, and Shedrick Sr. I simply give God praise every day for giving me another chance to live and carry out his plan.I now see that God has a purpose for my life and the lives of everyone who reads this book. It is not our will; it is his. He has already prepared us for the doors that he will open, so all we need to do is be ready. I never imagined I would become a college lecturer when I was a child growing up in Richmond, Virginia’s inner city. I recall attending the Maryville College orientation in Maryville, Tennessee, in 1989. Even now, I can clearly hear the facilitator discussing the need for 128 college credits in order to graduate. I had no concept of what a credit even was or meant. Oh, how times have evolved.I currently counsel students regarding college credits. I think that helping people, especially young people, is my vocation. I enjoy supporting, advising, bolstering, and supervising individuals as they increase their sense of efficacy, self-worth, and self-concept.