For the most part, student-athletes take on one sport, but for Cylan Terrelonge that's not the case. Terrelonge plays both football and lacrosse. His journey as a multi-sport student-athlete has had its up and downs, but nevertheless, he has had a tremendous career in sports. Cylan is a senior at Horn High School and plays for Bridge Lacrosse in Dallas, Texas. He has been a part of several teams such as the Bridge Eagles, St.Philips Saints, Barack Obama Male Leadership School, and Bridge Select.
Cylan has gained a multitude of opportunities through lacrosse when compared to the number of opportunities he has received through football. Because he plays two sports, he has come to a realization that he must let go of one or the other when he heads to college. Although he understands that football might be the sport he gives up, he doesn't discredit the coaches and people who have supported him through his football journey. Football has given him a higher lacrosse IQ because often lacrosse overlaps with multiple sports, so what may be useful in a lacrosse game might be useful in football and vice-versa.
Moving away from the realizations Terrelonge has come to, VYPE-U takes a look at the accolades and accomplishments Cylan has achieved on the field. According to Cylan, his biggest accomplishment is that he's comfortable in his own skin. " I think my greatest accomplishment has been being comfortable with the fact that I am an African-American athlete who plays something that's not usual for my culture. Being comfortable telling people about me and teaching them more about it is important to me because I really kept it to myself sophomore and freshmen year. Also, branching out really shows my growth and it helped me, which probably my best accomplishment currently," Said Cylan. Being a person of color comes with many obstacles and comes with experiencing microaggressions on the field, but Cylan has grown and hasn't allowed that to stop him from being himself.
Let's take a look at a specific clip from his highlight reel.
At 1:07 he is faced with an attacker going east to west. Cylan is stuck on the attacker all the way through until he checks the attackers' stick, causing the ball to fall out of his stick. For a few seconds, four guys are battling for the ground ball; at some point, it even ends up being tossed up in the air. Because of Cylans meticulous defensive work, he caused a needed turnover for his team. This emphasizes the footwork skills Cylan has and what he does with them on the field.
In the future, Cylan hopes to obtain a bachelor's degree in petroleum or electrical engineering, have a home and a family, and become a professional lacrosse athlete for the Premier Lacrosse League. We wish Cylan all the best of luck in his lacrosse career, and in life.