Shamarko Thomas might not realize it, but he has indeed left his mark through triumph and tragedy.
His smile is ever present. Every time you see safety Shamarko Thomas, it’s there. After a tough day, ask him how he is doing and he will tell you with a smile, just great. When he was battling injuries earlier in the season, the smile never wavered. After one of his workouts, when sweat is pouring off of him, he is smiling.
It’s not something he thinks about, it’s just something that is a part of him, something his late mother always encouraged him to do.
“She told me smile at adversity,” said Thomas. “There is a storm, but sunshine at the end. So I just smile at adversity.”
It’s not always easy, though. Especially not with the adversity that Thomas has had to face in his life. Most people would be angry, bitter, and mad at the world.
But not Thomas. He just keeps on smiling.
* * *
Shamarko Thomas’ mother was just 15-years old when he was born. His biological father was never really in the picture. There was no relationship between the two.
Too young to care for him herself, his mother gave him to his paternal grandmother to take care of for the short term.
When his mother turned 18, she took over sole responsibility of raising Thomas, moving from Champaign, Illinois where he was born, to California. It wasn’t easy, though. There were ups and downs and the young Thomas saw things happen to his mother that no child should ever have to witness..............
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