The Pursuit with Patience

Chapters

  1. Early Years in Sports
  2. Growing Up in Pittsburgh
  3. High School Years
  4. Recruiting Process
  5. Adapting to College
  6. Life as a Mountaineer
  7. Draft Prep
  8. Adversity Strikes
  9. Failure is Not an Option
  10. The League

I started to write “The Pursuit with Patience” when I was released from the Pittsburgh Steelers. I originally thought about writing a book in 2010 when I first graduated from college, but I never thought I would because I hated to write. As time went on, and I was approached by the right people, I realized that it was possible as long as I put my mind to it. My intention, and what inspired me to write this book the most, was the opportunity to encourage the youth to read. I see so many young children who have very little passion about education. My goal of this book is to inspire at least one person. That would make all the hard work and time that I have dedicated to writing “The Pursuit with Patience” worth it in the end. I recall a time when I was playing for the Steelers and was approached by a 16 year old boy. He was a hoodlum, but he knew who I was and looked up to me. He said, “Wes, continue to ball……. Do it for all of us in the hood.” These are the types of people that I have the power to affect and influence positively. I can not only influence young people by playing football, I can also help educate them with this book. I want to show them that athletes are capable of doing so much more than they received credit for. I took so much of my time and effort to make “The Pursuit with Patience” possible. I used to go to work/practice, then come home and spend countless hours writing this book. This was a great outlet for me to vent about the frustration that I was having. I was able to turn my frustration into something that would be positive and hopefully help others. There were quite a few times when I wanted to quit writing this book, but I realized that nothing was easy and I was determined to give it my all, like I did everything else. It took patience, consistency, and dedication to finish this book

The Pursuit with Patience” is not a book about the awards and success that I had in football; it’s about the journey of my life. I really want people to understand the journey that I endured. At times fans may talk about you or praise about how good you are, but there’s much more to being an athlete. This book breaks down just how genuine athletes are. I know and want to stress that all things are possible through God, who saved me. I am a young man who grew up in the slums of North Braddock, Pennsylvania and by believing and staying on the right path, I achieved amazing things