Finding his way back to the gridiron, thanks to TCC

Kevin Newsome dreamed of playing Division I football but needed a degree to do it.

The Portsmouth native attended Penn State in 2010 before deciding to transfer to Temple University. Initially the NCAA denied his waiver due to academics.

With the help of his family and the Temple coaches, Newsome realized his best option was community college.

With the help of Tidewater Community College, Newsome is back on the field and in the classroom. The communications major, a backup quarterback for the Owls, earned his Associate of Science in General Studies from TCC this past summer.

“It was a great experience being at TCC,” said Newsome, a National Honor Society member at Western Branch High School who spent his senior year at Hargrave Military Academy. “It really prepared me for the Temple classroom.

“Actually, I never had a better time at school than at TCC. I really enjoyed all of my classes.”

Newsome, who spent two semesters at the college, was particularly impressed with the faculty and the counseling staff.

“All of my professors were extremely enthusiastic about teaching. They wanted to help the students learn, and I, for one, appreciated that,” he said. “The counselors guided me in the right path.”

Newsome expected a more difficult transition. For the first time in many years, he did not have football to look forward to. Instead academics became his lone focus at TCC.

“It was hard, because football is my passion; that’s what I love to do,” he said. “But I know my education comes first.

“TCC made me feel comfortable. I felt at home there and ended up meeting up with a lot of friends from Western Branch.”

Newsome is looking forward to earning his bachelor’s from Temple in 2014, and while he is hopeful about a professional football career, he has several aspirations. He enjoys music, his second passion, and wants to pursue a business partnership with his brother, Keevon. Law school is another possibility.

“The big thing is I got to graduate from TCC,” he says. “Now I’m where I want to be.”