A time to take the lead

Dodging, darting and running away is what Spain Park High School running back Wade Streeter attempts to do while on the field. Doing the same thing, at least when facing his past mistakes, is not part of his off-the-field plan.

Ask the 5-foot-9, 195-pound Streeter today about his younger days and he quickly tells you that athletic success at Berry Middle School and his early days at Spain Park gave him “the big head.” He’ll look you in the eye and admit he neglected his teammates and his studies. What he won’t do is attempt to hide from his decisions.

“I’m a firm believer in people go through things for a reason,” Streeter said. “Every challenge, everything you go through, you learn something from it, if you allow yourself to.” 

It’s not difficult to pinpoint the moment – the early morning hours of Dec. 2, 2013 – and the reason that Streeter made the change. His grandfather, Walter Gary, died that morning.

“I loved him so much and know he loved me,” Streeter said. “When he passed away, I knew it was time to make a change. I knew it would make him proud to see me doing the right things, see me putting God first and see me get my grades right and be a leader on and off the field.”

Gary was a fixture at his grandson’s games, and he wasn’t hard to spot. He was the one yelling ‘Get away Rabbit’ every time Streeter broke into the open – which was often. He was often the first to reach Streeter after games.

“To see his smile after the game was the most important thing,” Streeter said. “I loved to make him happy.”

It was that love that prompted Streeter to change his ways in the classroom and with his teammates. Spain Park head coach Shawn Raney, who took over the program in 2013, said his current standout running back’s grades “went from Ds and Cs to As and Bs.” He eventually became someone that Raney could build not only his offense, but also his entire team, around.

“He’s an unbelievable kid,” Raney said.

However, Streeter still had to wait his turn to lead the way on the varsity. For the most part, he sat and learned from watching former standout running back Otis Harris during the 2013 season.

“When you wait behind good backs like that, you’re not just waiting, you’re learning and being humbled,” Streeter said. “You’re just so ready to hit the field yourself.”

Before he did that, at least for a regular season game, he had another experience in his growth as a person. It came during preseason practice when Streeter stood in front of his teammates and told his story. He talked about his grandfather. He talked about his mistakes and about growing up.

Most of all, he became a leader.

“When you get to a certain point in life, where you worked so hard, arriving here at 6 o’clock in the morning, just so you can be that guy next year,” Streeter said. “You realize there is a time to get up and take the lead. When the time came, I couldn’t hold back anymore.”

He also had another role – Fellowship of Christian Athletes leader – when he left that day.

“After I shared that story, our FCA leader, Coach (John) Hardin, came to me and said he believed God was calling me to lead our FCA,” Streeter said. “I took it as a challenge and really dug deep into it. I was all in from day one.”

On the field, he rushed for more than 1,000 yards in a breakout varsity season. He had 195 yards and four touchdowns in the marathon loss to Hewitt-Trussville and cracked 100-yard barrier three more times. He rushed for 189 yards in a win over Vestavia Hills. 

Off the field, he grasped the leadership role, especially helping young players mature.

“Back in the day, I’d probably be doing it with them,” Streeter said. “Now, I find myself trying to help them out, telling them what I’ve been through and how it hurt me. It’s allowed me to be a better voice among the team.” 

  This year probably won’t mark the end of his football career. He’s already received an offer from Miles College, where his father, Wade, is a former head coach, and also has interest from Jacksonville State and Alabama State. His focus right now, though, is helping the Jaguars return to the playoffs. He also has a clear focus on how he wants to be remembered at Spain Park.

“I want my legacy to be ‘He put God first in everything he did,’” Streeter said.