My family has always taken care of each other. I have three older sisters and one older brother, who are all pretty far apart in age from me. So, besides my parents, my siblings were always pouring into me and guiding me every step of the way throughout my major milestones in life. They taught me all of the values I hold today — use your manners, treat people with respect and whatever you decide to do, do it right. Even today, they have such a huge impact on my daily life and are the first people I go to for advice.

Abe Camara sitting with his parents, Zara (left) and Alpha Camara (right). Courtesy of the Camara family

I didn’t start playing football until middle school, but my love for the game began when I started watching my brother play. Witnessing his recruiting process at South Carolina solidified that I wanted to play college football, too.

I got my first offer during my junior year of high school, but by the time my senior season was over, I knew I wanted to create more options for myself. I went to a junior college for a year and a half, became the No. 1 junior college safety in the nation, and accepted the first Power Five offer that came my way — TCU.

During my first year in Fort Worth, I was just a guy from a junior college trying to find my role, my place and myself. But as the years went on, I just found my niche and built some important bonds with my teammates, coaches and teachers that will last a lifetime.

There is a winning tradition here, and because TCU was the first team to take a real chance on me, I never wanted to take my position for granted. That mindset helped me battle injuries, maneuver through trials and run onto the field every week to give my all for my team. I know how fast all of this is going to go by, and that my plans can change in an instant, but waking up each morning and getting to do what I love is something I appreciate more and more each day.

Abe Camara pauses during fall camp. Photo by Lily Margaret Greenway

Growing up, I was always the one my family was taking care of. But today, I have the incredible blessing of taking care of them. I have nieces and nephews to love on, and it makes me really happy to bless my siblings’ kids after they were always there to help me out. What means the most to me is making my family smile and showing them how much I appreciate everything they’ve done to help me keep growing. 

My next immediate goal is to play football professionally. But I have dreams that expand beyond the NFL. I graduated with my degree in youth advocacy this past summer and immediately started working an internship with a couple of other guys on the team at Como Community Center. It was eye-opening to work hands-on with those kids and gain more experience and knowledge in the field I want to pursue.

“I have all kinds of ideas and want to bring them to life one day.”
Abe Camara

I like working with kids. And I think they like me, too. So many of them at the community center come from broken homes, split families or single-parent households, and they need a place where they feel like they can relax and fully be themselves. Being raised in such a tight-knit family, it means all the more to me to create a space like that for these kids. And what I found out in spending time with them is that a lot of them love to play sports, too.

I have this dream of eventually creating my own organization that connects a youth advocacy center with professional sports. It would be so neat to have a bunch of professional football players, and professional athletes in general, make connections with these kids, whether it be through charity games or clinics. I have all kinds of ideas and want to bring them to life one day.

— As told to Lily Margaret Greenway

Editor’s Note: These responses have been edited for length and clarity.