Florida Atlantic linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair keeps a pair of white Nike sandals in his locker to remind himself of his tough upbringing that grew even more challenging when his family's home burned to the ground.
Most people wouldn't have cared, or maybe even noticed.
Last August, when Florida Atlantic linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was just a freshman, he noticed a teammate growing frustrated across the weight room. The player eventually slammed a fruit cup to the ground in anger before storming off.
It peeved Al-Shaair to the point he immediately left so he could tell football coach Charlie Partridge.