Cornelius was a bit of a soccer prodigy. He played for top youth clubs in Northern California and earned a soccer scholarship to play at Howard. However, Cornelius fell into drugs and gang activity. He lost his scholarship and his bearings on life. He spent three years doing an array of drugs including crystal meth, sleeping on the street, or a stranger’s coach. He tried many times to get clean, but this year was different. Julius Ujeh, 2008 San Francisco Coach, came to the shelter and started talking about street soccer. “That gave me real hope,” Cornelius, now 23, said. Cornelius has been clean for the better part of a year. He was selected to join the Street Soccer USA National Team. He recently finished an apprenticeship as an electrician and has moved off the street and is living with his aunt and uncle.Soccer and Narcotics Anonymous meetings keep him focused. This spring he became a starter for a semipro team. His life has done a complete 180.
