WOODBRIDGE, Va. — Nancy Marouf’s 18-year–old son, Cameron, a senior at Forest Park High School in Woodbridge, will attend Norfolk State University on a full scholarship to be the football team’s punter. Being from northern Iraq, Marouf said football was an adjustment for their family as their American-born son taught them the rules of the game.
More in a first-hand account from Nancy Marouf on her son’s achievement:
Cameron Marouf, only child of Salam and Nancy Marouf, first generation Kurdish (northern Iraq) American, is a natural athlete with keen eyesight and a talented foot. Educated in Prince William County schools – Henderson, Porter Traditional and now Forest Park, he is a hometown child. Although he has played T-ball, baseball, a lifetime of recreational soccer and a bit of travel soccer, his greatest athletic gift, at this point, has been as the punter and kicker on the football field.
With the arrival of Coach Coccoli in 2011, Forest Park’s head football coach, there was a need for a kicker. Coach Qura, Cameron’s soccer coach at Forest Park, suggested several young men. Cameron just happened to have been the first telephone call. Although understanding Coach Coccoli’s need, we were quite surprised by the opportunity. Cameron tried out and Coccoli that noticed Cameron’s foot. He said,
“Cameron has a division one foot,” said the coach.
“Don’t play with me as we don’t know anything about this football world,” I replied.
And, the party started. All of this was a new world.
We took Cameron to several kicking camps/classes – Before you Kick (held at UVA); Coach Doug Blevins (former NFL coach); Virginia Tech camp (met Coach Beamer), and some other local camps in the area.
With a dad that only knew soccer to transition into football was a feat in itself. His dad didn’t know about cheerleaders, what “starting” meant, the bands, halftime, etc. It was truly a story in itself to watch this transition.
It took about three games for dad to decide we had to be there at 6 p.m. to watch Cameron kick and prepare for the game. The most I could contribute was being the best cheerleader. So many parents who have been involved in football for years were so forthcoming and welcoming. We couldn’t ask for more. They also enjoyed dad’s transition from soccer to football!
Fall 2011 and fall of 2012 were our only football seasons. Cameron had no less than 6 – 8 people in his cheering section at every game. Everyone from family, day care providers, neighbors, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandpa, great uncles and aunts, our company clients, etc. were there to support him.
I was researching all that I could find about college football, recruiting, colleges, divisions and asking the coaches too many questions. Technology was a large part of this process between videos and emails. By the time the season was finished, the college coaches began to stop by the school, call us at home and or email the coach. It was coming at us from all sides.
I had to make a file box to keep the information organized as there was so much of it and coming to us so quickly. For about three weeks in December, Cameron was coming home on a daily basis to tell us about the coach and school he had met that particular day. We had inquiries from Assumption College in Maine, Stevenson College, ODU, Bridgewater, University of Richmond, Ferrum, and Norfolk State.
We were invited By Coach Butler and Head Coach Adrian, of Norfolk State, for an official visit in January. It was a great experience and reconfirmed our concerns for a healthy successful academic support system.
The bonus was the connection from the head coach to his staff. He will have tutors, scheduled study time, a personal punting/kicking coach, practice clothes, away game clothes, home game clothes and shoes. We could not ask for more as parents.
He has been taught how to take care of his room, home responsibilities and his laundry. We have felt that we are on a cloud and just can’t believe what we are experiencing. We just know it has all been a gift from God for this plan for our family.
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