by Joyce Oscar
From mint chocolate chip ice cream to Dreams and Nightmares by Meek Mill, wide receiver Patrick Gorman’s pre-game ritual is not an unusual one. On game day he listens to music throughout the day followed by watching “Prove Em Wrong” a video about Julian Edelman. He then tapes his wrists, writes initials and a number on the tape, prays, listens to more music, puts on eye black and off to the field he goes.
Football is a popular sport in Richmond,Virginia and it immediately caught the eye of a young Patrick. Playing side-by-side with his twin brother, the boys would often get together afterwards and cast ballots to see who had a better game. It took a little getting used to when his brother decided not to play anymore. Always being told that he was too small, Patrick worked hard at the game…he had something to prove. He was determined to prove that size didn’t matter if you have heart, and he did just that.
But an even bigger challenge came for the Junior with the loss of his close friend, Frank Woolwine, Jr. who was killed in a car crash in early August of this year. “I felt that we (the team) came together and became more of a family and we all wanted to play for him. The Rebels have played extremely hard and have played well. “The main motivation this season has been playing for Frank,” he says. “No one wants to lose a game because we felt if we lost we would let him down.”
The ultimate goal for the Douglas Freeman Rebels is to make it to the state championship and they are well on their way. With a record of 10-1, they have moved to the second round of the VHSL playoffs.
