Stacy Black would routinely awaken in the middle of the night and find her son following a familiar pattern.En route to the kitchen for a glass of water, she would see her 8-year-old son, Kaelon, in front of the television watching replays of old football games.
She recalled at a similar age, playing with her dolls. She would spend hours transfixed in concentration working tirelessly on their hair. She eventually turned her life-long passion into a profession as a hairstylist.
“Kaelon would sit and just watch football for hours and hours,” Stacy said. “I could see his passion for football the same way I have it for the cosmetology industry.
“He would be up until 2 or 3 o’clock in the morning, watching old games from the black-and-white days. And he’d go to sleep with a football in his hand like a pillow. The passion was definitely there.”
William Black recognized his son’s priorities from an early age.
“Football instead of cartoons,” he said, laughing.
Kaelon Black’s commitment to the sport was rewarded last week when the 49ers...