Editor’s Note: The following guest article was submitted to Texas HS Football by Brennan quarterback Jeremiah “Mako” Conwell. We always love when players share their own stories, especially when the message goes deeper than stats, rankings, or Friday night highlights.
Mako’s story is a reminder that not every path starts with early playing time or instant success. Sometimes the best parts of an athlete are built during the seasons when nobody is clapping yet.
For every young player waiting on a chance, his message is a good one: keep working, keep showing up, and be ready when your opportunity finally arrives.
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I Was the Kid Who Couldn’t Get on the Field. Now I’m Brennan’s Quarterback
By Jeremiah “Mako” Conwell 
People see me now as Brennan High School’s starting quarterback and one of the team captains. What they don’t see are all the years before that. They don’t see the kid who struggled to get playing time, the practices where I wondered if I was ever going to be good enough, or the countless hours spent working when no one else was watching. Looking back, I realize those moments shaped me far more than any touchdown or win ever could.
Some of my earliest football memories go all the way back to when I was five years old. I attended the NFL Pro Bowl in Oahu, Hawaii, and had the chance to greet NFL players on the field before the game. I didn’t realize how special that experience was at the time, but I remember thinking how incredible it would be to play football like them someday.
A few years later, my family was living at Fort Meade, Maryland. Every day after school, my friends and I played backyard football on a patch of grass near our house. We weren’t worried about rankings, scholarships, or championships. We just loved the game. We’d spend hours throwing passes, making catches, arguing over touchdowns, and creating memories I’ll never forget. That’s where I truly fell in love with football.
When my family moved to San Antonio, I started playing NFL FLAG Football. I played quarterback, running back, and wide receiver, and I had a lot of success. Naturally, I wanted to take the next step and play tackle football.
I signed up in early 2020, excited for my first season, but then COVID-19 shut everything down before we even played a game. When football finally returned later that year, everything felt different. The players around me had years of tackle football experience, while I was just trying to figure everything out. I struggled to fit in, didn’t get much playing time, and honestly started wondering if I would ever catch up.
One day my dad told me something that completely changed my mindset. He said, “If you want more playing time, you’ll have to work when everyone else goes home.”
Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I decided to get to work.
I spent countless hours improving my speed, footwork, throwing mechanics, agility, and understanding of the game. There were days when I didn’t feel like I was getting better, but I kept showing up anyway. Slowly, things started to change. I earned more opportunities, eventually became a starting safety on my youth football team, and learned that success doesn’t happen overnight. It comes from consistently doing the work, even when nobody notices.
When I got to Dolph Briscoe Middle School, I played wide receiver and linebacker on a team that won the city’s first middle school football championship during my seventh-grade year. The following season, I became the starting quarterback. That was the first time I truly felt like I had earned the opportunity to lead an offense.
High school brought another opportunity to prove myself. As Brennan’s freshman quarterback, our team went undefeated. My sophomore year, our junior varsity team lost only one game. I didn’t start that game, but when the coaches put me in, we rallied from behind and came within one play of winning. We chose to go for two instead of kicking the extra point because junior varsity games don’t have overtime. We came up short, but that experience taught me that leadership isn’t about when you enter the game—it’s about making the most of your opportunity when it comes.
My junior year wasn’t easy either. I was the backup quarterback on varsity. Like every competitor, I wanted to be on the field more, but I also understood that my job was to prepare every day like I was the starter. I learned that leadership isn’t only about playing; it’s about supporting your teammates, staying ready, and putting the team first.
Now I’m entering my senior season as Brennan’s starting quarterback and one of our team captains. That means a lot to me because I know where I started. I know what it feels like to sit on the bench wondering if your chance will ever come. I also know what it feels like when years of hard work finally pay off.
Our team has grown up together. Many of us have played football alongside each other for years, and we’ve built friendships that go far beyond the game. We’re one of the closest teams I’ve ever been a part of, and we all share the same goal: competing for a Texas state championship.
No matter what happens this season, I hope people remember me for more than football. I hope they remember my work ethic, my leadership, and the way I treated my teammates and coaches. Football won’t last forever, but the lessons it has taught me will.
If there’s one thing I want younger athletes to remember, it’s this: don’t compare your Chapter 1 to someone else’s Chapter 10. Everyone’s journey is different. There were times when I barely played, and there were moments when I questioned myself. Looking back now, I’m grateful I didn’t quit.
Keep showing up.
Keep working.
Keep believing in yourself even when nobody else sees your potential.
One day your opportunity will come.
When it does, be ready.
