Student Athlete Profile: Julian Griggs

McDonogh's Julian Griggs makes a play against St. Mary's-Ryken last season.  (Sabina Moran/PressBox)

By: Steve Giles

As a child, everyone dreams of being famous. Some dream of being an actor, others a professional athlete and some even aspire to be the President of the United States. But for many people, these dreams never transfer over to reality.

McDonogh sophomore forward Julian Griggs' dream has always been to become a professional soccer player. Judging from his career thus far, he may be one of the select few who are able to convert their dreams to real life. Griggs played for his first soccer team at age 8, and from that moment on he knew soccer would be a big part of his life.

"Ever since I became real serious about soccer, which was around age 10 or 11, going as far as I could in soccer was a dream of mine. I would definitely love to make a career out of playing soccer, but that's not the only thing I could do with my life," Griggs said.

Even though Griggs would like to succeed as a professional soccer player, soccer is not the be-all, end-all for him. Unlike many high schoolers, Griggs understands that it's tough to go far in life without the proper education, and he takes pride in doing well in school.

"I've always been a good student. My parents instilled in me from a young age that school always came first and that's a big reason why I do so well in school," Griggs said.

It's hard enough to balance school and sports, but to excel in both takes hard work and dedication. These two traits come natural to Griggs, who has used both to become one of the top players in the conference thus far this season.

He made the varsity team as a freshman and played in every game while starting half of them. When his sophomore year came around, he became a full-time starter and hasn't looked back since.

A big part of Griggs' success comes from competing at a high level for his club team, the Baltimore Casa Mia Bays. The Bays won the national championship this past July in Arkansas and many of the Griggs' teammates also play with him at McDonogh.

Another familiar face roaming the sidelines for the Bays as well as the Eagles is head coach Steve Nichols, who takes on the task of coaching both squads.

Back when Griggs was figuring out where to attend high school, one of the deciding factors was the familiarity he would have with the team as well as the head coach. The fact that his parents liked McDonogh also made the decision much easier.

"My parents always wanted me to go to McDonogh. So when the time came for me to attend high school, everything pointed me to McDonogh and it ultimately became the place for me," Griggs said.

Griggs knew he was going to be exposed to a high level of play, but he feels he has the mindset to tackle anything that comes his way.

"Soccer is just fun for me. I love the competition and I always play to win. And for that, McDonogh is a great place for me," Griggs said.

Playing soccer is an obvious passion of Griggs', but teaching his eight-and 11-year-old brothers the ins and outs of the game is also something he loves to do. He says they are learning well so far and he hopes that they can one day follow in his footsteps.

The dream of playing professional soccer is alive and well for Griggs. If he does succeed, it will be his drive and determination that will lead him to his ultimate goal.

Posted October 14, 2008