LYNN — Some high school athletes have dreams of playing college football, while others try to use what they learn from the sport to set themselves up for the future. Lynn English’s Isaiah Goorahlal and Ghafour Diallo have done just that.
Goorahlal will be attending the University of Southern California (USC) next fall, while Diallo will be heading to Boston College, starting at the Messina College before moving to the main campus after two years.
Diallo and Goorahlal believe football helped them become better men.
“When I got on the football team, I met all kinds of people. I met people who had difficulties in their background, but still made it to practice. There were people who had hard times in their homes, but they still made sure to get to practice,” Diallo said. “It was a very good experience to learn how some of my teammates were so dedicated — despite all the challenges they’ve faced.”
“It’s helped me a lot and made me more disciplined. Football establishes a commitment. I played all four years and did all of the offseason workouts. It established a backbone in me,” Goorahlal said. “When I started applying to schools, I had to do extra work, whether it was the supplements, the essays, sending a transcript, or doing an interview. It was a lot of work just to apply for a school, but I was always used to doing extra work from football.”
Not only were Goorahlal and Diallo teammates, but they pushed each other in the classroom. Goorahlal was the recipient of a Scholar Athlete Award last year, and Diallo remembers wanting to win one day.
“It was my goal, this year, to also receive that award,” Diallo said. “That made me go above and beyond to earn it. This year, we both earned that award.”
Goorahlal praised Diallo’s journey and leadership qualities.
“If Ghafour said he looks up to me in the classroom, I’d say I look up to Ghafour outside of the classroom. He’s a leader by nature,” Goorahlal said. “Whatever he says, you listen. He’s lived a crazy life. He came from Africa and has only been here for a few years and he’s told me some crazy stories. I will always have extra respect for him because he comes from a culture and an environment that I wouldn’t understand unless he told me.”
It’s been a dream for Diallo and Goorahlal to go to college.
“I’m very excited. I can’t believe I’m standing here knowing I’m going to Boston College,” Diallo said. “I recently came here to the country and, for me, it’s a very high accomplishment to say I’m going to Boston College. When I graduate, I can guarantee a very good opportunity for me in life.”
For Goorahlal, this was a long-term goal he’s excited to check-off his list.
“That was my big dream. I’ve never been on a plane — never really left New England. America is this big map and I’ve touched like 5 percent of it,” Goorahlal said. “The only question I had to answer was, ‘where?’ I chose California because I’m a writer and my dream is to make pictures, or books, or write movies. I want to get a story out there and where else to go other than L.A. and be in Hollywood?”
