GRIT AND DETERMINATION
Hard work and belief has allowed Spencer Drango to overcome a learning disability, establish a lifestyle built on giving back and to excel on the football field.

It was the summer before fifth-grade when Spencer Drango, two-time All-American offensive lineman for Baylor, started to struggle with his course work.

"In fourth grade, it really became tough," said Drango. "I wasn't where I needed to be with my reading. I was maybe a grade down in reading and was having trouble spelling and in all my classwork. It got to the point where my parents where like, 'Okay, maybe we should have him checked out. So we ran a few tests and it ended up that I had dyslexia."

For the Drango family, academic excellence is expected. Both Gary and Pamela Drango, Spencer's parents, are mechanical engineers. His older brother, Brad, is a graduate of Baylor with a management degree. "It was always, always expected that we'd go to college," said Drango.

But dyslexia is a tricky disorder, one that can persist throughout life. It affects one's ability to read, write, spell and, in extreme cases, speak. It can make even the simplest task arduous. And for a young child, it can affect self-esteem.

"It did cause me to doubt myself," said Drango, who was born in Indianapolis but grew up in the Austin area. "I definitely remember thinking, 'Oh, I'm never going to get over this,' or, 'I'm never going to learn how to spell right or read right.' The teachers I had in the program were very, very supportive. There might have been one or two other students in the class with me. And it was a very, very slow pace. The teachers made sure everyone understood before we moved on."

Drango also knew his parents were â '¬" as they always had been â '¬" in his corner.

"They were very supportive," he said. "If ever I needed help with anything, they were the first ones to step up and say, 'How can we help.'"

To get past the obstacles presented by his dyslexia, Drango leaned on life lessons drawn on the football field.

"Sports has taught me perseverance, and I try to apply that to everything in life," he said. "So, when times get tough, just keep going. It can't stay bad forever. Just keep fighting."

He also leaned on his deep faith. Community service has always been stressed in the Drango household. For Drango, it's something that lifts the soul when obstacles might otherwise seem overwhelming.

"You know, any time you can give back, you should," he said. "God's given me a platform to be able to use sports to go teach about Him and, you know, just talk to kids and love on kids, and that's what I want to do."

"This summer, I went to Brazil on a mission trip for two weeks with Baylor Sports Ministry, and that was an unbelievable experience that I'll never forget. The people I met there, I will never forget. We went to Rio and all the kids were there. We did a prayer for them. I was praying over a few kids, and all of a sudden I feel the pastor's hand on my back and he starts praying for me. And what I didn't know at the time, after we finished the past said to me, 'You were praying over my son, and I just wanted to thank you for that.' That was very cool."

Hard work and faith have helped Drango learn to deal with his dyslexia and he's blossomed into a three-time All-Academic Big 12 selection. He believes his experiences as a student-athlete, both on the field and off, has also focused him â '¬" making him a better leader and a better student.

"Being a student-athlete has definitely taught me great time-management skills," he said. "There are only 24 hours in a day, and you know, some days seven hours are filled with football or football-related things. You sleep close to eight hours. That leaves only so many hours for class and homework and studying. So, you definitely have to be on top of your game in all aspects."

The senior finance major firmly believes that the hard work and the sacrifices that come with being a student-athlete are more than worth it.

"I'm hopeful I'll have the opportunity to continue playing football after college," he said. "But it's really about the degree on the wall, you know? It was all worth it to get that. I don't know what will happen with football, but having the degree is a pretty great fallback plan.

"Once you have an education â '¬" once you earn your degree â '¬" the world's your oyster."