Like most of his friends in suburban Atlanta, Abdoul Sy-Savane grew up loving football and playing the sport. The area is well known for developing high-level football players and Sy-Savane wanted to be just like them.
Still, when he was in middle school, his father Amadou gave him an ultimatum.
"He wasn't even going to run track and then I said, 'If you want to play football, you have to run track,'" Amadou said. "That was the reason he started running track."
It was a good thing Abdoul heeded his father's advice. Since that poin in time, Abdoul has given up football and become an elite high school hurdler and a top-level college prospect.
Sy-Savane, who was U.S. No. 1 during the indoor season in the 60m hurdles, plans on graduating from Stone Mountain High School in December and enrolling in college in January 2024.
He should have...
