Terrell Football Player Jakobe Garrett Is Also A State Champion In Robotics

TERRELL, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - As the starting center on Terrell's offensive line nears graduation, a weight has been lifted when it comes to the way Jakobe Garrett is perceived.

The Terrell High School senior says about himself, "He's much more than that. Not just a giant football player."

As Garrett walks down the hall, all he has to do is think back to eighth grade, when one of his teachers helped him shed that label.

Jakobe says, "She was like 'would you like to be in robotics?' I was like 'what is that?' I'm gonna try it out."

It didn't take long to realize the unique position he was in. Garrett admits, "Me being this size... and African American in the robotics competition... there's not a lot of me."

His robotics teacher, Marcus Edwards, explains the "very first time we went to an event, he almost locked onto me... and said people don't look like me."

That led to his coach asking him what he was going to do about it. This season, Jakobe won the state championship in robotics and has qualified for the world event in May. That reinforces Jakobe's message that you should never let anyone put you into a box.

It definitely took teamwork to make sure Garrett could excel on and off the field.

Terrell High School Head football coach, Marvin Sedberry, says, "We took the kid out of it where we communicated... to make sure he could do both... so he didn't have to choose."

Jakobe has chosen to focus solely on robotics at Morgan State University this fall. In many ways, Jamie Foxx has put the school and town on the map. Now, we can celebrate the latest Terrell Tiger, who will inspire future generations.

Garrett's goal is for kids to say, "I want to be like Jakobe."

Clearly, if you dream big enough, that dream can take off like a rocket.