Tim “T.” Strachan had a simple but powerful dream.  Ever since he was 5 years old,  he wanted to play college football.   This was not a whimsical fantasy.  He was passionate about his goal.  He was dedicated to the cause.  And he had the drive and the athletic ability to make his dream a reality!

As the youngest of four brothers, he also had the benefit of emulating the athletic accomplishments of his older siblings.  Armed with this foundation, T. Strachan dominated as a gun-slinging quarterback in youth football.  His legend was growing.  When the decision came to attend high school, he fell in love with DeMatha High School and enrolled there in the Fall of 1990.

Turning the Dream Into Reality

While football was his passion, T. Strachan also excelled on the basketball court and had the opportunity to play for legendary DeMatha coach Morgan Wootten.  It was under Coach Wootten that Strachan fully grasped the potential of his athletic ability.  And, more importantly, he learned the significance of perspective and appreciating his present situation.  This was  a special time in his life and he needed to enjoy every moment. 

Armed with this healthy outlook, and further bolstered by the inspiration of football coach Bill McGregor, T. Strachan channeled his raw athletic ability into the game of football.  He learned the system Freshmen year.  But halfway through his second season, Strachan got his shot at glory.  And he led DeMatha on a late-season surge that culminated with a Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) Championship!

Strachan’s junior season was even more impressive.  Led by their 6’3, 225-pound quarterback, Dematha rolled through the competition and captured their second consecutive WCAC Championship.  By this time T. Strachan was on the radar of every major college football coach on the East Coast.

In the summer before his senior season, Strachan was living his dream.  The Pre-Season High School All-American team came out, and T. Strachan was listed as one of the Top 5 quarterbacks in the country (along with another slightly successful quarterback–Peyton Manning!)   Three days later, Strachan received an invitation to meet legendary Penn State football  Coach Joe Paterno.  Coach Paterno offered him a full scholarship to play college football at Penn State University.  It would not be his last offer.

The dream was within his grasp!

Tragedy Strikes

August 5, 1993–just  a few weeks before the start of T.’s senior year football camp.  It was a beautiful day in Bethany Beach, Delaware and the entire Strachan family was gathered on the beach.    T. was enjoying a friendly (yet competitive!) beach volleyball game .  He had worked up a sweat and needed to cool off.  So he sprinted to toward the ocean and dove into a large wave just before it crashed onto shore.

Suddenly, everything changed.

T. could not feel his legs.  His family rushed in and turned him over.  He had fractured the C-5 vertebrae in his neck.  It did not look good.

He was immediately medivacked to a hospital in Philadelphia where he would endure 2 major surgeries over a 19-hour period.  T. was in and out of consciousness over the next few days.  On the 3rd day, he awoke and asked the nurse when he would be able to play football again.

The nurse hesitated.  She did not want to be the one to tell T. Strachan he would never walk again.

Shortly thereafter, T.’s father came into the hospital room.  His son was dealing was the severity of the nightmare unfolding before him.  What do you say to someone you love in that incredibly vulnerable and delicate moment?

Son, you’re not going to be able to do the things you used to do.  But you’re still T.  You’ll always be T!

That gave T. Strachan the strength he needed to move forward with his new reality.  The dream of playing college football had vanished.

But he was still the same person he was before the accident.  He was still T.  He would always be T.

Settling Into A New Reality

Real life is not like the movies.  Rarely is there a cathartic moment followed by a linear journey back to the top.  A tragedy is a tragedy and T. still struggled at times with his new reality.  He had some bad days over the next 3 months in the ICU.  He grew frustrated with his constant physical therapy and subsequent surgeries.  He could not help but think of his teammates as they took the field to capture another title.

His peers would be moving on without him.  The world did not stop.

But he had the unwavering support of his loving family.  He had over fifty visitors a day in the hospital.  He had the backing of the entire community.  He was never alone.  And that gave him the strength to move forward.

New Dreams Emerge

Joe Paterno still honored T’s scholarship at Penn State.  But Coach Duffner of Maryland had also offered a scholarship to the University of Maryland and T. needed to be closer to family.

In the fall of 1996, T. Strachan enrolled at the University of Maryland.  It was then that he received his first major break.  Family friend and legendary announcer Johnny Holliday offered  T. a  position as a sideline reporter for the home Maryland football games.  He had no experience.  It was a trial by fire.  But like most things in his life, he attacked it with passion and soon hit his stride.

Public speaking did not come naturally to T.  But he was driven to be the best and soon realized this would be a critical skill moving forward.  He linked up with Dr. Leah Waks, a Professor at UMD for the Department of Communication: The Art of Rhetoric & Theory of Personal Communication.  This would eventually become T.s major.  And it would be a skill that would serve him well for the rest of his life.

(Ten years later, T. would be the student keynote speaker at the University of Maryland Department graduation ceremony.)

After graduation, a friend and mentor, Bob Muse, convinced T. to attend law school. Once again, he hunkered down on his studies at Georgetown University Law Center and graduated with honors.  He eventually took the position of Counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee.  The sky was the limit.

But to top it all off, during his first year at Law School, Strachan was reunited with Leslie, the girl he had “gone steady with” in second grade.  It didn’t take long to rekindle the past.  They were married in the Fall of 2005.

There is No End To the Dream

Today, T. Strachan is celebrating his 22nd year as a broadcaster for the University of Maryland.  He also recently accepted a promotion at the Federal Communications Commission  as the Acting Director of Legislative Affairs.  He and Leslie have two beautiful daughters, Sophie (9) and Olivia (7).

In addition, he is about to launch his own podcast (“The Audible”) which has super-hyper local focus on the professional landscape of Washington, DC sports and local high school sports.  And in between the demands of his burgeoning career and family life, he finds the time to deliver motivational speeches and host charity events.

T. Strachan had a dream to be a college football player.  That did not happen.

But did he ever dream he could be a dynamic public speaker?

Did he ever dream he would spend 22 years as a broadcaster?

Did he ever dream he would attend law school?

Did he ever dream he would hold a job with this much responsibility?

Did he ever dream he would marry his grade-school sweetheart?

Did he ever dream he would have two precious daughters?

Did he ever dream he would have such an impact on his community?

T. Strachan stayed resilient.  Only one dream ended.  But a lifetime of dreams ensued.

What Does it Mean for Us

T. Strachan’s story can teach us many lessons. The significance of friends and family in our journey. The importance of staying resilient and constantly moving forward. The impact of hard work and dedication to a goal.

But most importantly, T. Strachan can teach us about the simple power of pursuing a dream. We don’t have control of a lot of things in our life. The road can get bumpy and adversity can strike at any time. But we can control our focus and we can control our dreams.

And once we summon the passion and focus to attack one dream, it opens up the possibility for so many more!

We aren’t always going to be successful.  But that can never stop us from pushing forward toward our goal. If one dream ends, another will be there to take its place. And it might be better than our original dream!

What is your dream? It doesn’t have to change the world. But we all need one. And once we identify it, we have to own it!

Dreams feed our energy. Dreams give us hope for the future. Dreams inspire all those around us.

And, one way or another, our dreams will come true. 

T. Strachan is living his dream. And so will you!

Until next week, keep smiling!