Like a lot of kids who play football growing up, Avon grad Brandon Fuentes had dreams of playing professionally. After wrapping up his college career as a defensive back at St. John Fisher in 2015, Fuentes moved to Florida where he began training alongside several NFL players. That helped get his pro career started two years later.

"I went to a workout with the High Country Grizzlies, which is in the National Arena League, and had a great workout with them, and that's where my rookie year was, professionally indoors. Throughout the first four games for them, I was the leading candidate for Rookie of the Year. In the first three games, I had four interceptions, took two back for touchdowns, was having a really good rookie campaign and then in the beginning of our fourth game, I got kneed in the side and got internal bleeding, so it was a little bit of a setback," Fuentes says.

After logging time with several indoor teams in 2018, Fuentes returned to Fisher where he earned his degree and helped coach the Cardinals secondary last fall.

"One of my favorite parts about coaching was being able to take everything that I've learned from my journey and be able to give that same knowledge to the next generation of athletes that are coming up through. They know that I'm still chasing my dream and they were very, very receptive," he states.

And thanks to an unexpected opportunity, the chase for his dream continues.

"Out of the blue, I got a call on Christmas Eve from the head coach of the Orlando Predators and he said, 'I can't let you slip through the cracks, I want you to come play for me,'" he says.

Fuentes was all set to join the team in March when the National Arena League suspended operations because of the coronavirus.

"The thing I'm looking forward to the most is just to get back on the field. Just to get back on the field and do what I love to do and that's play the game of football. A lot of the journey is more mental than it is physical, it's just keeping that faith high and knowing that it's meant for you and knowing that you have what it takes," he adds.

Fuentes hopes to be back on the field soon. The National Arena League is looking to kick off the season in mid-June.