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The Long Road to a Dream Realized

Related Topics: Jason Barnes, Emeka Emezie

Counting quarters was a regular ritual.

Gas station and fast-food stops made Sean Brown’s change-counting abilities a skill right alongside his speed and route-running ability.

College sports' five-star prospects get the limelight, and their pro-ready skills often deserve the acclaim they receive. But it’s the walk-ons without anything but desire who create a foundation for success and push a team to even greater heights.

Brown’s desire pushed him through shifts at Chick-fil-A to make a five-dollar gas station stop possible. Determination conquered a broken jaw, a potential position switch and full-night sessions at the Charlotte Recreation Center, all with the ever-fading hourglass that is college eligibility looming over him.