FRISCO, Texas – You may recognize him as the Dallas Cowboy who wears the Stylish plaid suits on game-days in vivid bright colors, but Kavon Frazier’s emotional upbringing is seen in his eyes and in the motivation behind his foundation, Frazier Cares.
“ My mom was a single mother. My dad left when I was one. My mom also has multiple sclerosis. She put us in Christian schools a lot throughout my whole life, so through the schools there were father figures that came into my life. Growing up it was my mom, my sister, and me. We did everything together. My mom is my one. “
Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic disease that attacks the central nervous system affecting the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. Symptoms range from numbness to paralysis and vision loss in severe cases. There is no cure only treatment to try to relieve symptoms for daily living.
Even though his mother had MS, she did not let that diagnosis stop her from being there for her kids. “My sister and I had basketball games at once. My mom was walking with a cane at times and she would drop my sister off, watch her for 30 minutes, and then run to my game. That is my greatest memory of the way I grew up.”
Frazier had to mature quicker than most kids his age being the man of the house. He was raised in Michigan different than most having the responsibility of taking care of his mother and his sister, when most boys his age were worrying about what sport to play or how to talk to that girl in homeroom. He went through more than most people could imagine during his childhood and throughout his life, but those hard times are what shaped Frazier in to the man he is today; a safety for the Dallas Cowboys.
“ I am tougher than normal but I was built for it and that is one of the things that has made me who I am right now, “ says Frazier.
The strength he gained throughout that battle with his family, served him well later on during college. During the NFL combine out of Central Michigan, Frazier had a broken foot and could not perform. Because of the injury he dropped to the sixth round in the 2016 Draft, a lot later than he was expecting. He had a successful pro-day, and now he is in the starting lineup in the defensive backfield for “America’s Team.”
Frazier never let the setbacks define who he was or where he could go with his life, instead he used them as motivation for what he could do with his future. “ My mom has been my greatest influence. Just her waking up everyday and making no complaints. She was just a hard-working lady. She was a single mother and had all the odds against her. “
His mother was the embodiment of unwavering determination that he lives by everyday. He was able to use her experience as a lesson for himself to strive forward making no excuses or placing any limitations on what he could do. Her hard work developed in him and led him to the Dallas Cowboys and the National Football League. He has battled a shoulder injury, but on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers he had an impactful performance on the field with eight combined tackles, four total, and a pass defend. During the off-season, he took his workout routines to the next level and his diligence and work ethic have paid off.
To give back to the community, Frazier started “ a foundation called Frazier Cares. I grew up without a father figure so it is built to benefit children who do not have a father figure in their lives. We started ‘Frazier Fridays’, where I pick up middle school kids to see a high school game here and I am going to personally tour them around the Star. “
Frazier is using his background story and his platform as an NFL player to help young students who are going through a similar situation to what he went through as a child. He is mentoring these kids and teaching them the importance of an education, and having a male role model in their lives. Sports can come and go with injuries, but “no one can take away an education. “
Kavon Frazier’s story is the real inspiration behind the game of football. Each player on the field is more than a number but a unique person with a story. His perseverance through the struggle he faced early on with a single mother raising him with MS, to his journey to the Dallas Cowboys is the real victory. The love that he has for and the impact of his mom and family are written across his face in the locker-room and that is what ultimately matters. The best of luck to No. 35 on Sunday and excitement surrounding the outfit choice! No one wears a full plaid suit like Kavon Frazier!
