Senior Feature - O'shai Fletcher - Troy University Athletics

This story originally appeared in GAMEDAY, Troy's official gameday program

Football is a source of entertainment for millions across the country. On the weekends, people sit on the couch and watch football all day long and when the games are over, they turn off their televisions and move on with their lives. For others, like sixth-year cornerback O'shai Fletcher, football is so much more than just a game.

Football is everything.

Born in Birmingham, Ala., Fletcher has always been around the game. It's offered him his escape. The field is where he feels most alive, and it's something that comes so naturally to him.

"Growing up, I lived with my mom and grandma," Fletcher said. "So, for me, football was the only thing I had. I was just playing football. Everywhere I went, I played football. I played in the city league and during the summer I was at the Boys and Girls Club."

Looking back on his early years of playing football, so much of what he felt then is still present to this day when he steps onto the field at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

"It's a safe haven," Fletcher said. "It's the place where I can just be me. That's why I am so happy
to play football."

Regardless of where or who he is playing, there's always been one constant: an enormous amount of support from the woman who raised him – his mom. Latasha Stewart-Robinson, Fletcher's mom, has attended every home game of his life. She's never missed the opportunity to sit in the stands and watch her son play.

"You can catch her in Troy every Saturday," Fletcher said. "Whatever she has to do to get here, she does it."

In fact, her first time flying came last December to watch her son and the Trojans take down No. 22 UTSA 18-12 in the Cure Bowl in Orlando, Fla. Fletcher lost his grandmother during his freshman year of college. But before she passed, she never missed the chance to check in to see how he was doing. Every Friday night, she'd watch the news to see the highlights and clips from his high school games.

"I truly appreciate them," Fletcher said. "I think about them every time [I play]."

Having played football for so long and being passionate about the sport, Fletcher has taken a leadership role in the team, especially the secondary group.

As a veteran of the program and someone who plays a crucial role on the team, Fletcher knows it's up to him and the other leaders to set the tempo and tone. They're the ones that other players look up to. And with a target on their backs this season, their leadership is more critical than ever.

"We know every day that we are the standard. We are the ones that people are circling on their schedules," Fletcher said. "That just makes us work harder. It's a great opportunity to see how good we can be and how great we can push ourselves."

While Fletcher brings the intensity in his leadership, he also does so in a unique way – a way he learned from his mom and grandma.

Love.

Everything Fletcher does is rooted in love. No matter what.

"My mom just instilled in me to treat everybody with love," Fletcher said. "No matter how
I feel, the least I can do is carry it on and treat somebody else with love. You never know what someone else is going through."

Fletcher's energy is palpable, and the results on the field prove it. In 2022, Fletcher started the final nine games of
the season for the Trojans and finished 12th nationally in yards per catch at 9.0. Through two games this season, he's
recorded 10 tackles, including two for loss.

Troy has become a second home for the Alabamian, and he knows that people all around the town and state look up to him.

"It's a pride thing because I get to represent my state," Fletcher said. "It's another chance to put Alabama on the map."

There's much unknown after this season for Fletcher. His time playing college football will end, and new opportunities and doors will open. He'll forever be part of the Troy family – something he is beyond proud of. Fletcher knows that he and his teammates will always have each other's backs, no matter the different
roads they travel.

Another thing will be for certain: Fletcher will carry his mom's gift of love forever.

"Mama, I love you so much," Fletcher said. "I couldn't get to this point without you. Thank you for keeping me levelheaded when things didn't look so bright for us."

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Senior Feature - O'shai Fletcher

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