Patric Young | Jacksonville, FL
“Humility is the precursor to confidence. It is the precursor to learning.”
Basketball star Patric Young shares his story and his beliefs, explaining how his life lessons have helped him grow and become the inspiring person that he is today. By telling his story, he gives first responders a glimpse into his life, a life that they have helped save.
Where did you grow up and how did you get into basketball?
Patric was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, with two devoted parents and an older sister. Patric describes his upbringing, the strong influence of his older sister, and a life of neighborhood friends and playing outdoors, free from screens and cell phones.
As a young man, Patric loved sports, specifically baseball and basketball, and as he got older and taller, he began to excel at basketball. In high school, his athletic talent and his six-foot six build finally merged with his athletic talent and he became a star on the court.
In his senior year in high school, Patric transferred to a private Christian school, which marked the beginning of his relationship to Christ and to his faith. His team ended up winning the state championship, and Patric went on to play for the University of Florida. He describes himself as wanting to prove external expectations rather than feeling humble and ready to learn.
His coach, Billy Donovan, was both wise and firm, showing Patric that he had not been showing up as who he wanted to be. Patric says, “I think humility is the precursor to confidence. It’s the precursor to learning.” And from that time on, Patric listened to his coaches, learning through their wisdom and their experience how to be a better team player and more successful athlete. Young’s 2014 senior class led the University of Florida to its most wins (120) and SEC championships (three) by any class in school history along with three Elite Eights and a Final Four appearance in 2014.
When the 2014 season was over, Patric began preparing for the NBA Draft, and eventually signed a contract for a season with the New Orleans Pelicans. He then made the decision to go overseas, where he became a true star. He posted a stellar year in Turkey, two years in Greece, two years in Italy, and some time in Israel before retiring from basketball in 2020.
Patric had to discover what was next in his life. Although he had faced some challenges, he tells us that, “I was never prepared for what God knew was going to happen in my life a few years later.”
Fast forward to 2021. Doors began opening for Patric, and he returned home to Jacksonville where his life began to take shape. He began to enjoy time with his family, his community, his friends, and his church, and he became engaged to his now wife. He got a job with the Tim Tebow Foundation and with the SEC Network, covering college basketball. It was an awesome year for Patric, and he was thankful and excited about his future.
In 2022, he went to Nebraska to be with his future wife, her daughter, and her mom, preparing for their wedding which would take place in two weeks. To pass the time in a constructive way, Patric started working with an irrigation company, getting his hands dirty and enjoying the hard work. He loved the feeling that he was contributing to the farmers, who were helping feed thousands of people. On his last day, 10 days before his wedding, he went to work, he had no idea how drastically his life was going to change.
While transporting a piece of equipment, Patric lost control of the vehicle, as it slid off the road and rolled a full 360 degrees. He felt a pop in his spine and realized that something was very wrong. He couldn’t feel his legs, his hands were bleeding, and he was terrified. He was able to grab his phone, and he called his partner for help.
The instant that the first responders arrived, they were calm and reassuring. They asked questions, they listened to him, and they treated him with gentleness as they eased him out of his car. He describes the situation:
“I just wanted to get out of the truck. And I told them, ‘Please don’t hurt me as you’re trying to get me out’, because I’m a big guy and the truck was in an awkward tilted position… But zero discomfort, zero pain, they got me out of there with ease and everybody was so easy to talk to and just reassured me and helped me feel safe.”
He remembers during the helicopter EMS transport, “I just felt the peace of God, that everything was going to be okay.” Before entering emergency surgery, Patric managed to pray with his pastor, Pat and he was able to see his wife just before he went in. After eight hours, Patric emerged with 12 screws and two rods. And he said to himself, “Alright you’re alive. You need to get prepared for your new body.”
What lessons from sports did you apply to your recovery?
When Patric describes the lessons that he learned, he explains that there is a correlation between sports and his recovery. This is the mindset of getting better in small increments. Patric reminded himself:
“Stop comparing yourself to the Patric of the past. The one that was walking. Compare yourself to the present. And yesterday, you couldn’t do this, and now you can do it. That is a huge lesson.”
Another lesson Patric learned is that helplessness is a big hindrance in recovery. Just like in sport, if you want to grow, you must take risks, you must make mistakes, you must push yourself, and you must sometimes fail.
During the weeks and months of his rehab, Patric thought, “I'm not going to let these circumstances dictate how I'm going to live the rest of my life. And I don't know if I will walk again, but I believe I will. I believe faith without works is dead. So, I'm going to work my butt off every day and I'm going to dominate it!”
Patric describes how this whole experience was humbling, forcing him to reevaluate himself as a man in this world, and to redefine the type of contribution he was able to make. He was grateful for the support of his wife and family in this process. He decided that he would share his story with other people, even while it was still challenging him and constantly unfolding. He shares his thoughts with us:
“When you are in the middle of your trial, in the middle of your storm, how do you see yourself? What do you believe? What do you think of when you think of God? What do you think of yourself? Do you see yourself as a victim or a failure, do you see this thing that you’re facing as a tool for growth?”
Is there anything you would like to share with firefighters?
Patric described his convictions about leadership with the Hillsborough Fire Rescue Department and defined the three steps that have been the most important to him in his journey.
1. Be a model of leadership and motivation for yourself and for others.
2. Be consistently disciplined.
3. Create a culture of appreciation, where we consistently tell the people around us that we are thankful for who they are and for what they do.
Patric feels that fire fighters can particularly resonate with this third step relating to appreciation, acknowledging that they themselves might need to give each other more recognition and thanks.
Patric believes that firefighters are heroes. And he reminds them that they are also human, each with a limited human nature, who need to replenish themselves so that they can be the best version of themselves. These are the values that underline Patric’s story, and they are all relevant to firefighters and their profession:
· Humility never goes out of fashion.
· Overconfidence is one of the biggest causes of mistakes.
· Never stop learning.
· Never stop being curious and asking questions.
· Be a team player and put others before yourself.
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Patric tells us that when he was in the first hospital in South Dakota, he was told this inspirational story by a resident nurse. He has never forgotten her words:
“I’ve seen all types of people come through the hospital with spinal cord injuries. The reality of their situations is similar. I’ve seen them go in one of two ways: there are those that sink into a depression, allowing their circumstances to dictate how they live, and there are those that choose to live joyful, happy lives.”
“Are you watering the positive seed or the negative seed every day?,” she asked. “The seed that you've been watering the most is the one that's going to blossom.”
