Farrell Hester II - A Leader On and Off the Field for 2020 UNLV Football

 

Farrell Hester II – A Leader On and Off the Field for UNLV Football

www.FranchiseSportsMedia.com

 

The Raiders aren’t the only ones breaking into a new stadium. The UNLV Rebels football program will make their debut in their brand spanking new coliseum, Allegiant Stadium. Their season opener is set to take place on August 29th. Rumors are circulating that it could be against Texas Christian University (TCU), with Notre Dame and BYU also being possibilities. UNLV Athletics has told Franchise Sports Media’s Joe Arrigo that nothing is finalized with any school and that they are exploring all options that will safely allow them to play.

 

 

While the UNLV athletics department does all the back-office work on COVID 19’s impact on the program, including finalizing a new schedule, new head coach Marcus Arroyo has his Rebels in the weight room and film room preparing for this season. Looking to bounce back from the “quarantine 15,” the Rebels 3-year starter at inside linebacker Farrell Hester II, gives us a taste of what his life has looked like during quarantine, his success on and off the field, and his hopes for a season that is currently uncertain. 

 

Hester told me how he has dealt with a change in his daily routine during the quarantine.

 

“During quarantine, I would wake up, and around 8-8:30 am, take my vitamins, and get something light in my system like a bar or fruit. Pray and read. Then I would either hit the weights or go to the field with a couple of teammates around 10 am. Come home, shower up, make a big meal.

Attend online zoom meetings with our position group around 2:30 pm. Get another meal in at around 4 pm. Have another schedule zoom meeting with the team, either involving information or just getting to know each other.

After that, I’ll hit my playbook to study on the installs we just learned for the day. Get another meal around 7-8 pm. Whatever free time I had left, I would use to hang out with my girl, my roommate, or even my family. Then I’ll be back in bed by 11:30-12:00 am to do it all over again,” Hester told me.

The Las Vegas native has tasted success throughout his football career. Graduating from Bishop Gorman in 2017, and earning defensive MVP his freshman year, he soon caught the attention of many in the valley. He was snatched from the freshman team and pulled up too varsity during playoffs. The 3-year starter was second-team all-conference his sophomore year. Hester’s junior and senior year, he was first-team all-conference and first-team all-state. His senior year, he was voted team captain, and he won defensive MVP for the varsity team. Wait, that’s not it…he also broke the record for tackles in a season. Hester helped lead his team to a National Championship trophy three years in a row. 

Football analyst, Phil Steele, projected Hester in the 2020 Phil Steele Mountain West-All Conference Teams magazine, preseason 4th team All-Mountain West.  

“Nothing comes easy; through football, I’ve learned the value of hard work. Not just in football, not just in sports but in everything that I do. In school, in relationships and all of that. I’ve learned the value of hard work, commitment, and consistency. I think that it is very important what football has installed in me because, without consistency, there is no progress.” 

 

Going into his 4th season with the Rebels, Hester has high hopes for his senior year. He gained much success on the field, ending up third in tackles his junior year. 

 

“My whole life throughout football, I have always been the underdog. I have never been that stand out person. I have always been the behind the scenes type dude. I’ve never let that tear me down. Sometimes it would get to me, but one thing I learned is that none of that stuff matters because at the end of the day, the work that you put in will eventually show, and the results will show. That is one thing that I’ve learned. It doesn’t matter who is not looking at you. I stay true to who I am and what I did, and that’s why I am here right now,” Hester told me recently. 

 

Hester told me how he has developed a leadership role on his team and how he has become a voice to guide by example. He told me who his biggest influencers are and how his role models have helped shape him into the man he has become. 

 

“My parents inspire me, seeing the way that they work. As far as my dad, I have watched him get up at 5 o’clock every morning and go to work. I have never seen him complain, and he’s never quit, he has always done what he had to do to provide for his family, the same for my mom, where she has always gotten an extra job here and there. She has done extra things to help provide for the family. I think that inspires me because I want to be able to do what I have to do to take care of my family one day.”

Farrell’s all-time favorite player is Ray Lewis, the retired 17-year linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens.

“I look up to him; he was in the same position as me. Growing up, people would call me Ray Lewis, because of the way that I hit and the way that I play. But also the person that he is off the field, he is a man of God. He is not afraid to express his faith, and he is big on his faith. He is a great leader; he is influential. I strive to be like that growing up. Even if my career doesn’t end very long, I still want to be able to influence others and be able to talk and help others. Shine my light onto other people.” 

 

Hester’s faith is the critical component on and off the field. He embraces his beliefs openly and attends FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) every week in the spring and fall semester at UNLV. 

 

“The older that I get, I realize that my faith is important in everything that I do because, without God, I wouldn’t be where I am at right now. When I find myself garring away, I notice it. I constantly remind myself, how good God is, and what he has done in my life. Nothing that I have done, the accomplishments that I have done, all that wasn’t me. My natural self, I couldn’t have done that alone. By his grace, his mercy, and who he is, because of him, I am where I am. I am not afraid to say that I am not afraid to express that. People in the locker room know that I am a full Christian, and I love God.” 

Hester is not only a leader in the locker room, but he strives to lead by example and be a support to other people every chance he gets. He enjoys giving back to his community by helping people in need. Hester wants to use football as a platform to gear toward his calling, and that’s in helping people. He plans to start a non-profit organization one day. Before the pandemic, every second and fourth Monday of each month, he and his church ministry would go out to feed the less fortunate and people who need help. The church has sponsors from restaurants who help donate food. 

 

“It all started my sophomore or junior year of high school. I wanted a hoverboard and some other things. I told my mom I don’t want anything for my birthday. I just want $200-$300, so I can get some food and drinks, to go out and take to the homeless. It all started there. We ended up doing that for my birthday.

We made hundreds of sandwich bags and waters. After that moment, I fell in love with the experience of being able to give back to people. To help others, it warmed my heart up. Ever since then, I love going out, when people come by to converse with them, make their day, compliment them.” 

 

 

The Rebels football team has participated in Nevada Reading Week. Hester had the opportunity to inspire young children.

 

“I want to influence, speak to people, give back, helping kids that don’t have much money, helping them with clothes and shoes. Blessing families.”

His church hosts a toy drive every year during Christmas. They donate toys and bikes to families in need. 

 

 

Farrell Hester II continues to count up his blessings and has high hopes for this upcoming season. He and the other upperclassmen continue to work hard to bring veteran savviness to the field. 

 

 

“Everything in life happens for a reason; this time that we are going through is happening for a reason. I think that God has allowed this so that we can take out, not only to spend with him but to take out time to spend with our loved ones, you know the people that we may have forgotten about. All this time that we have on our hands right now, we should use it wisely. Don’t waste it on social media, and video games, and watching shows. The main excuse for almost everyone in the world is “don’t have enough time,” the time that you have right now during this pandemic, use this time to invest in your life and invest in others. 

Build new relationships and fix broken relationships that you have. Don’t let this pandemic bring your head down. Stay positive, always have a positive mindset; all this is, is just adversity. One thing that I am going to stick on is that our characters are not judged through the midst of comfort and convenience but through controversy and adversity. I paraphrase that from Martin Luther King Jr. I think that this is a point of adversity in our lives, and it’s up to us to overcome it. Your character is judged by how you overcome adversity. That’s all this is, and as they say, pressure creates diamonds. Keep your head up, don’t stop, don’t give up on your dream no matter what it looks like. If you want something, go get it.” – Farrell Hester II

 

Farrell Hester II is exactly what former head coach Tony Sanchez and current head coach Marcus Arroyo want in a student-athlete. He is a leader on and off the field, an impact player, and the type of person that makes UNLV proud to have as a member fo the university. 

 

Farrell Hester II      Farrell Hester II      Farrell Hester II      Farrell Hester II      Farrell Hester II      Farrell Hester II      Farrell Hester II      Farrell Hester II      Farrell Hester II      Farrell Hester II      Farrell Hester II      Farrell Hester II      Farrell Hester II      Farrell Hester II      Farrell Hester II      Farrell Hester II      Farrell Hester II      Farrell Hester II        

-Nyshon Zaragoza – Franchise Sports Media

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