By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
A prizefighter comes out of their corner, knowing that they could get knocked down. Maybe once, maybe twice, maybe again and again. But it is their spirit, their will that keeps them coming back.
Unbowed.
Undeterred.
Unintimidated.
It's about the fight -- the challenge to be the best one can be.
It's about the will to fight – the determination to overcome whatever adversity can be thrown one's way.
It's about the courage to fight – the understanding and reasoning why one does this amongst such overwhelming odds, yet perseveres.
It's about the inspiration to fight – the people, the symbols in one's life that leads them down this path.
It's art among chaos. Graceful footsteps as the fighter tries to navigate around the foe. One wrong move here and his or her night is done. A physical ballet all to stay on one's feet.
But if the right spot appears -- a hole in the defense, a flaw in the armor -- the fighter can take advantage and slip through.
Body blow after body blow. The opponent weakens, and the fighter can end the bout.
Essentially, the fight is figurative, stretching from one aspect of life to another. But for Tennessee Tech sophomore running back Yeedee Thaenrat, the fight is real in so many ways.
Whether it's escaping a war-torn country as a refugee, traversing the country, trying to make a place for oneself or something as simple as just trying to break through and score a touchdown, in the end, it's all about winning the fight.
As for Thaenrat's childhood in Liberia, most of it is a blur. After all, it was through a child's eyes, barely two years old as the Second Liberian Civil War -- a violent struggle between Charles Taylor's government and two rebel groups (the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy and the Movement for Democracy in Liberia) – started to rage.
Between April 1999 and August 2003, thousands of people were displaced and an estimated 150,000 to 300,000 people were killed. Children were used as soldiers and the nation's capital was under siege until the war finally ended.
During that period, Thaenrat's father returned to Thailand, while his mother's fate is unknown.
But Yeedee, his grandmother, uncle, aunt, sisters and little brother came to the United States, looking for a fresh start.
"I don't really remember that much about it," Thaenrat said, "I was so young, but my grandmother constantly tells stories about it, so I've learned some things about it that way."
The family settled in San Antonio, Texas, but moved again to Philadelphia when Thaenrat was 10 years old.
"For my younger brother, it hurt him a lot," Thaenrat said, "but for me, it was tough going to so many new schools and so many new people. It was difficult adjusting to so many different environments. San Antonio – it was nicer, had such great hospitality, it was warm, you had 'Southern hospitality.'"
With a smile, Thaenrat continued, "When you go up north, man, those kids can be mean. I had to learn to adjust to that."
In Philadelphia, Thaenrat made a name for himself on the prep level.
"I was one of the better football players when I was there, so it was fun," he said. "I played for an all-boys academy (Father Judge). We weren't the best, but we competed every game. We were probably average, but good enough to compete against the best teams in the league.
"It was fun, though. The atmosphere is different. Football up there isn't as big as it is down south. But we still had a good crowd."
The numbers he had there were incredible. As a sophomore, he rushed for 1,246 yards and 13 touchdowns, while also recording 74 tackles, three interceptions and six fumbles forced. As a junior, Thaenrat ran for 1,545 yards and 25 touchdowns, with 98 tackles, 12 forced fumbles and two interceptions. As a senior, he rushed for 943 yards and 10 touchdowns, while recording 43 tackles.
He was named all-city, all-southeastern Pennsylvania and even all-state before the end of his career.
Thaenrat had offers to other schools, including a scholarship offer to Rutgers. But the offers started to disappear.
"I lost all my scholarships," Thaenrat said. "I didn't have any opportunities. There was nowhere else. I walked on at Temple and then Coach Satterfield came here and gave me the opportunity to earn one."
He certainly showed why he was deserving of the opportunity. During his freshman campaign in 2016, Thaenrat ran for a Tech freshman-record 707 yards on 159 carries with six touchdowns. He also caught 17 passes for 176 yards. He was selected to the All-Ohio Valley Conference newcomer team and was also on the league's preseason team to start the year.
But it certainly hasn't been an easy road. The Golden Eagles finished 5-6 in 2016 and currently have a rough 0-7 blemish on 2017.
"It's had its ups and downs," Thaenrat said modestly. "We have faced a lot of adversity. Coach Satt has worked with us every day, trying to make us men and ready to face the real world. Playing here, the first year was tough, trying to get used to class schedules and everything, but this year, I've felt like I'm in high school again.
"Playing here has taught me a lot. I've learned to be more accountable, responsible, disciplined. We have to wake up every morning and do what others won't. We do the hard stuff every day."
With the way the season has gone so far, it is certainly a large obstacle, but Thaenrat feels like the team hasn't given up trying to overcome that – because it is a work in progress and the results are still to come.
"We do the same thing every day," he said. "We haven't changed a thing from last year when we were winning to this season. Our process remains the same. We still go out there and practice as hard as we can. We've probably got a huge chip on our shoulders, but we haven't packed it in yet. We're still confident. We still have a lot of the season left, so 0-7? That may be what our record says, but we're still feeling confident."
But the record also doesn't show how much the team has grown since the start of the 2016 season to beyond. Wins and losses are a simple way to signify a team's success, but isn't necessarily an indicator of the direction a team is heading.
Thaenrat believes that. 2016, 2017 – those are just foundations of the program Satterfield is trying to build.
"That's true," he said. "It's all a process. You don't know when it's going to work, but if you believe in it, keep faith in it, it will come together. We saw it come together last year, so we're just going to keep doing the same thing over and over. You don't know when it will get there – it could be tomorrow, next week, next year."
But with the adversity Thaenrat has overcome over the years, the 2017 season is just another piece of obstacle to climb over, another opponent to spar with.
"We learn from losses," Thaenrat said. "Coach Satt told us you can't learn much from winning. We've learned a lot and it is making us stronger. We're getting better every day. We're working as hard as we can. We may fall short, but the improvement is still there."
Still Thaenrat is determined to succeed, not only as a football player, but as a student.
"I want to graduate in four years," he said. "I want to get a good job and make a career for myself. I want to take care of my family – my daughter and my girlfriend back in Philadelphia. Football wise, I can only control what I can control. I have to keep playing hard and trust in my offensive line and game plan and just see where it takes me from there.
"Whether I make it to the NFL or not, it's out of my hands. But I can control how I play and how hard I play."
One thing many may not know about Thaenrat is that he's an artist. In his spare time, he creates. Before the season started, he had several works on his Twitter feed, showcasing some of his teammates.
"I love to do graphic design," Thaenrat said. "I was always good at it when I was younger, but it's not my major here. I don't know why – I'm looking into becoming a state trooper."
But what has been his favorite design?
"It's the one on my Twitter with Anthony Akers," Thaenrat said. "That's an easy one, it's my favorite. I did it all on my iPad. I'm saving up to get a Mac and buy Photoshop, but I love doing that."
It's not hard to see how far Thaenrat has come in his life and career. Considering what could have been, there's no telling where, if one thing hadn't happened the way it did, he would be right now. But the lessons are valuable experience and the past brings its own motivation.
"My mama – my aunt, I call her that all the time – she calls all the time and she reminds me not to forget where I come from," he said. "Remember what I've been through and never lose sight of that. I want to be better. I want my daughter to have a better life than I had when I was younger, whether it's by playing in the NFL or getting an education and working."
The fight to do just that – life itself -- has many rounds. When the bell sounds, it's just the end of one.
The fighter returns to his corner, shrugs it off and gets ready for the next.
It's a long fight, and Thaenrat isn't giving up yet.
Photos by Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information; Artwork by Yeedee Thaenrat
