These Inspiring NFL Players Turned Adversity into Touchdowns

Losing one’s parents at a young age is traumatic for anyone, but Darnell Dockett’s experience is especially harrowing. When he was just thirteen years old, Dockett discovered his mother’s lifeless body in their home. She had been murdered, and the crime is still unsolved to this day. But that grim discovery wasn’t the last of the adversity that life threw his way.

Dockett’s father passed away from cancer just a few months after his mom’s tragic death. We can’t imagine what losing both parents before the age of fourteen is like. We commend Dockett for coming out the other side of that experience. He went to live with his uncle after losing both his parents, which eventually led him to his successful NFL career.