Athletes - Trai Essex

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	Athletes - Trai Essex

Trai J. Essex (born December 5, 1982 in Fort Wayne, Indiana) is an offensive lineman for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL. He was chosen in the 2005 NFL Draft out of Northwestern University, considered a reach by many commentators at the time of his selection.

Essex showed promise after a slow start to his career, finishing with two strong perfomances against the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings.

As a youth, Trai attended Southwick elementary and later Village Woods Middle School where he for the most part, due to his stature showed athletic promise. During this time, he was known for his exceptional academics and quiet nature, rather than his athletics although notable. That did not come to be fully recognized until his matriculation to Paul Harding High School. Here he initially played basketball alongside J.T, Langston, a boyhood friend; later they would both become star players. Since middle school, Trai has always been associated with disconcerting criticism; his shy and often unassuming nature has been the scapegoat for much of this. He was helped through his most difficult days by Jennifer Bernstein, the WGA President of Wharton, who continuously encouraged him by shouting "Get Involved People!" from the sidelines of each of his games. And he got involved.

Upon arrival to the campus of Northwestern, Essex was an athletic 250 pound tight end with the ability to make an immediate impact with the struggling Wildcats. After a promising campaign at tight end as a freshman, two unrelated but life altering events contributed to his eventual successful transition to the offensive line. The first in this series of events was a considerabe amount of weight gain during the winter months of his freshman year which was the result of an illness keeping him out of winter workouts. During this time without the help of constant exercise Trai's life long passion for cheese began to show up on the scale. His secret late night indulgence of nacho cheese shoveled into his mouth with the most impromptu of utensils (his middle and index fingers), began to show themselves around Trai's midsection and rear. The "legend of the cheese" is as great a actor in Trai's success as his strong work ethic and determination. During spring practice of the same year Essex was dealt the final blow that would complete his transformation. Still practicing as a tight end Essex caught a quick pass to the flats when he was immediately leveled by fellow freshman, string safety Dominique Price. Essex was well aware of the hitting power of Price, yet because of his size underestimated him. He payed for this by suffering this bone crushing hit to the awe of several on-lookers observing practice. Suffering a hit of this magnitude could have ended the careers of lesser men. But Trai never one to back down kept playing, but wisely decided to never carry a football again.

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Athletes - Trai Essex

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