Building Players, Building People
Building Players, Building People
By Jessica Coz
When you talk with Veontray, the first thing you notice is how steady and focused he is. He moves with purposeful energy. Every gesture measured, every word intentional. “Football’s life,” he says. “It teaches you discipline, teamwork, and how to control your emotions. Everything I needed to learn, the game already had it.”
It is that mindset, the belief that lessons are everywhere if you’re willing to learn, that has guided him through every stage of his journey. After serving nearly five years, Veontray came home in February 2024 determined to rebuild from the ground up. “Finding work was tough,” he admits. “I had interviews lined up, but once my background came up, the offers disappeared.”
Finding His Way Back
It would’ve been easy to get give up, but Veontray refused to quit. The same grit that carried him through the toughest days inside became the foundation for something greater. “I grew up without a lot of guidance,” he says. “Now, I try to be that for others, especially the kids. They need to see consistency. They need to see that people can fall and get back up.”
Today, he coaches a 12-year-old football team twice a week after work. He calls himself a player’s coach, the kind who celebrates effort as much as wins and isn’t afraid to tell his players the truth. “I tell them it’s not just about football, it’s about life,” he explains. “You’re competing in school, in work, in everything you do. How you practice now is how you’ll perform later.”
“I tell them it’s not just about football, it’s about life. You’re competing in school, in work, in everything you do. How you practice now is how you’ll perform later.”
Coaching Beyond the Game
His coaching goes beyond drills and game plans. It’s about shaping character. Veontray talks to his players about respect, patience, and learning to control what they can. He sees football as a mirror of life: unpredictable, demanding, and full of second chances. “You can’t control the ref’s call, but you can control how you respond,” he tells them. “That’s what defines you.”
Beyond the field, he mentors parents on how to help their kids navigate the modern pressures of social media. He shows them how to highlight their children’s talents responsibly sharing the grind and growth without feeding into the noise. “What you post attracts what you get,” he says. “So post your work ethic. Post your progress. That’s what opens doors.”
Building Character, One Player at a Time
These lessons extend to his own life. Veontray is working toward becoming a certified personal trainer, exploring ways to blend his love for sports, mentorship, and personal development into a lasting business. “It’s about building people, not just players,” he says. “Helping them find something that pushes them forward.”
Still, when asked what makes him proudest, his answer comes quickly. “I’m most proud of the impact I’ve had on the people I love,” he says. “Sometimes I feel like I haven’t done enough, then a kid or my little brother will hit me up and say, ‘You helped change my life.’ That’s what it’s about.”
“I’m most proud of the impact I’ve had on the people I love. Sometimes I feel like I haven’t done enough, then a kid or my little brother will hit me up and say, ‘You helped change my life.’ That’s what it’s about.”
A Legacy of Impact
For Veontray, redemption is a daily practice. “I just want to give these kids what I didn’t have,” he says quietly. “Because if they find their purpose early, maybe they won’t lose time finding it like I did.”
