I was watching the Navy-Notre Dame football game last week and heard an unbelievable story about the Navy running back, Zerbin Singleton. His story brought tears to my eyes – tears of grace and hopefulness.

The short version is that his mom was incarcerated for drug abuse and other things when he was young. After making the rounds of being raised by Aunts, Uncles and Grandparents, his father came back into his life.

But shortly thereafter, his dad committed suicide. He was in high school at the time.

Pretty severe hand he was dealt, huh? So how does a young man turn that turbulence and heartache into success? Well, he did. He graduated Magna Cum Laude in his high school class. After being turned down at Navy, he attended college in GA – but he never lost his dream of playing football at the Naval Academy.

Somewhere along the way, I’m sure he had counsel who said, “Hey, consider yourself lucky. Think of where you are – versus where you could be. Think of the odds you’ve beaten to even be in college.”

But that wasn’t enough for him.

After his freshman year, he went back at Navy again. This time he got in. And now he’s majoring in Aerospace Engineering at the Academy – and playing college football.

So the next time you complain a little because things didn’t go your way – or you begin to feel sorry for yourself at the hand you were dealt, think about PVT Singleton. I know I will. He had no options. He HAD to make it happen. He didn’t have parents to nurture him – to coddle him – or to bail him out.

He is the poster boy for PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY. Like Nietsche says, “That which doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger.”