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Dec. 29—By Sam Cohn — scohn@baltsun.com
December 29, 2023 at 5:00 a.m.
It’s etched in red ink, tattooed across Julien Horton’s right forearm. The wrist tape he wears on gameday sits just beneath the last letters, careful not to cover it. Amidst sketched clouds that wrap around to meet a similarly themed bible scripture, the conspicuous red reads, “survival of the fittest.”
Horton, Bel Air’s safety and receiver and The Aegis 2023 football Player of the Year, had the creed tattooed before the start of the fall season. For him, it’s emblematic of an embattled journey that offers language to fit his on-field confidence.
“My thing is, you can’t play this game scared,” Horton said. “You always got to have no fear on the field. Whether it’s coming down and making tackles or going up and getting a 50/50 ball, you got to want it more than the other person. That’s why I got [the tattoo]. You’re either gonna go get [the ball] or you’re not.”
His fearless approach comes from his dad, Jay.
Jay is a lifelong boxer and mixed martial artist originally from Alabama. The combat sports were largely a hobby, credentialed by a few amateur fights. Julien was only 4 years old when he began tagging along, his miniature wiry frame strapping on oversized gloves and headgear to spar with the older crowd.
It was there, sharing time in a musty gym, that Horton was drilled to never back down from anyone — a demeanor he first carried onto the football field at age 9.
Horton might’ve began playing football sooner but his parents were nervous their small — even for his age — son would be susceptible to injury. They were right. Horton would endure a slew of concussions and broken bones in the early stages of his peewee football career.
Admittedly, it damaged his love for the game. His passion never dwindled though. By eighth grade he was back on…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/2023-aegis-football-team-survival-000700186.html
Author : The Aegis, Bel Air, Md.
Publish date : 2023-12-30 00:07:00
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