By: Lloydrica Hudson, Sports Reporter

Julius Pascal wants to become a motivational speaker and coach. But when his own college football future was taking shape, reaching out to a coach could feel overwhelming.

He worried about rejection. Even after receiving an offer from Valdosta State University, he struggled to keep the conversation going.

“I was scared of being denied,” Pascal said.

Now, the Valdosta State defensive back is learning to trust his voice as much as his ability. His journey has taken him from changing positions in high school to recognizing opposing offenses in college, with his faith helping him work through the uncertainty along the way.

Before he found his place in the Blazers’ defense, Pascal had to find a way to stay on the field.

He attended Miami Northwestern before transferring to Dr. Michael Krop High School, where he earned a starting role at running back.

Pascal adjusted. He played receiver and safety as a junior, finding other ways to contribute while still learning what it would take to play beyond high school.

When the running back ahead of him transferred, Pascal returned to the backfield for his senior season. He felt good about his performance, but the recruiting process remained difficult.

Having a coach’s phone number did not mean he felt comfortable using it.

Pascal said his fear of rejection kept him from reaching out, even when an opportunity interested him. Looking back, he recognizes that staying in contact was a responsibility he needed to accept.

“If I want to go there, I gotta show I want to be there,” he said.

As signing day approached, his mother encouraged him to pray and fast. Pascal said he did so for two weeks.

On the final day of his fast, the day before signing day, he received a message from a Valdosta State coach. The offer was still available.

Pascal committed on the spot.

The opportunity brought another adjustment. Although he finished high school playing running back, Valdosta State recruited him as a defensive back.

He had experience at safety, but college football demanded a deeper understanding of the position. Athletic ability alone would not account for every route or movement across the field.

“In high school, I was just a football player,” Pascal said.

At Valdosta State, he began learning the technical details that could help him become a more complete defender. He had to trust his positioning and understand how an offense was trying to move him.

Film study became part of that process.

Pascal looks for clues in formations and the way receivers line up. He studies whether a quarterback prefers to stay in the pocket or make plays on the run, using those tendencies to prepare for what might happen next.

“It’s like studying for a test,” he said.

That preparation helped produce an interception when Pascal recognized a formation he had studied. He alerted a teammate to the route concept he expected, then put himself in position when the offense ran it.

For Pascal, plays like that reflect the growth he wants to show. He believes he established himself as a tackler near the line of scrimmage last season. This season, he wants his coverage and ability to play in space to stand out, too.

His motivation also comes from someone who knows the position well: his brother.

Pascal said watching his brother pursue the ball has challenged him to give more effort, even when a play moves away from his side of the field. Instead of assuming another defender will finish the tackle, he wants to keep running toward the action.

His younger brother’s example has given him another way to measure his own play.

It is a lesson Pascal applies to the defense as a whole. A turnover or sudden change in field position can send the unit back onto the field with little time to regroup. He wants the response to stay the same: focus on the next play and execute.

One of the moments that showed him the defense’s potential came during a loss.

Against UNC Pembroke, Pascal recalled talking with teammates on the sideline about getting the ball back to the offense late in the game. The defense responded with a forced fumble.

The result did not erase the loss. But the sequence reinforced his belief in what the group could accomplish when everyone understood the assignment and committed to it.

Pascal has ambitious individual goals, including All-America recognition and the Cliff Harris Award. He also hopes to play in the NFL.

His plans extend beyond his own playing career, though. He wants to coach and become a motivational speaker, using his voice to encourage others.

Faith is central to that vision. Pascal grew up attending church and said he began taking his faith more seriously in high school. When asked what fans should know about him away from football, his answer came quickly.

“I love Jesus,” he said.

Asked how he wants people to remember his time at Valdosta State, Pascal returned to the person behind the player. He wants to leave a reputation for kindness and respect.

The player who once hesitated to start a conversation now hopes his words will help others move forward. And when people hear his name, he wants them to remember how he treated them.