Author, former basketball player of the University of Florida, Patric Young talks about his journey and where he is now

Jacksonville, Fla. – In addition to numbers and statistics, sports have the opportunity to bring people together and to present some of the most inspiring stories full of hope and resilience.

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The history of his life sells and much more for the Characteristics Patric Young of Jacksonville.

From the moment when he touched the hardwood, Young knew that he was intended for size.

He said it was his coach Jim Martin from Providence Highschool, who paved his way.

“He was the first coach who really challenged me and prepared me to go to college. Because at the age of 18 they believe that they know all the talent they have, it will be easy. The transition of basketball will be the slightest concern of their life disorders when they arrive there and it is overwhelming,” said Young.

Entry into his study year at the University of Florida was overwhelming, and Young said he was not sure whether he could deal with it emotionally. To be away from his family, to grow into himself as a man and to face all the things as an adult.

But it was his coach Billy Donovan who really put it in the right perspective for him.

“And at a certain point in time, you know because I just didn’t get it:” Hey, you know, you either let us coach or you should think about switching around elsewhere. “And that may be a shock, but his honesty and directness helped me to change the way of my time there, and I’m so grateful for that,” said Young.

This directness could be concentrated on his future. From 2010 to 2014 he played the center and went with the team to three elite night and a final Four.

“We had a system that we were standing from that we coach Donovan, and overall I mean, my four years there, so I am sometimes the reason why I am still connected to the university because my four -year experience was incredible,” said Young.

As an outstanding player, some of his awards from the SEC defensive players of the year, the two-time all-sec team member include. Young also became the 50th 1,000-point scorer in UF history and ended his career with 1,307 points on the list ever on the list.

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In 2014, the Gators went 18: 0. Young said that all of his years in Florida were unbelievable, but it was different, but it was the last year that was one of the most memorable.

“I wanted to have this role more to be a bigger offensive player this year. And it is not that I don’t believe that I couldn’t have done it. It was simply not in the best interest in the team’s goals, and everyone took a step back to concentrate from the individual goals and awards, and we just wanted to concentrate on gaining because we were able to get out of what was going on, what was going on. took care, “he said.

While he was part of the last team to make it up to the Final Four, he said that this was the most exciting time for him because he can watch his gators.

“Now you know that you can see the team at the moment, it is the first time that I can follow in the last four of a great career as a Gator team after your career. So that’s the full circular moment. It’s so cool,” said Young.

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After he was naughty in 2014, he was a free agent at the New Orleans Pelicans. After his cut out of the team, his basketball career led him to Turkey, Greece, Italy and Israel for six years.

But after injuries, he decided to hang it up in 2020 and switched to the next chapter. He got a job at the SEC network, which was pretty and then another with a profit-oriented company by Tim Tebow.

On June 29, 2022, 10 days before his wedding, Young had a single car accident that led to a spinal cord injury and was unable to use his legs.

“As a Christian man, I went to church all my life, and it’s like, okay, man, put your belief on the test. Own history,” said Young.

He started the Patric Young Foundation four months after his accident. His mission is to help those who have life -changing injuries and work on offering financial, emotional and physical support to those who need the most urgent.

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He explained why he works so hard to help other people.

“How should I ever be happy again? How should I find life? Will I find love? Am I again able to work again? And how should I live in my house?

Now he continues to write his story with his new book “Sit to Rise and converted your darkest pain into your greatest victory”.

“I just wanted to be so authentic and vulnerable because I think that the world doesn’t have enough of where you can really look into the life of a person and see what they go through and how they hand over and how they overcome themselves. And for me you know my book, how does faith do in all of this?”

Young said of all the things he did. This is one of his proudest that someone will read the book and be affected.

Young can’t help but smile and know that his life is not only led by his faith, but by those who have helped him pave the one who has shaped him from his family in his corner to his coaches who have shaped him in the man he is today.

“I want to become like a master communicator and really have the ability to move and change the hearts of people and to present things in such a way that with conviction and authenticity, authenticity that really influences them, the people who never know how people, how people are inspired, are inspired, I am inspired or whatever, but they never know.