{"id":74714,"date":"2019-01-25T10:47:36","date_gmt":"2019-01-25T16:47:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=74714"},"modified":"2019-01-25T10:47:36","modified_gmt":"2019-01-25T16:47:36","slug":"habib-has-his-eyes-on-dee-vision-i-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/habib-has-his-eyes-on-dee-vision-i-football\/","title":{"rendered":"Habib has his eyes on Dee-vision I football"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Justin Birnbaum<\/strong>
\nMedill Reports<\/em><\/p>\n

Gunshots sometimes wake Awudu \u201cDee\u201d Habib in the middle of the night. They can sound as if they\u2019re going off in the bedroom of his fifth-floor apartment. On nights like that, Habib takes cover beneath his bed.<\/p>\n

Growing up in Uptown, on the North Side of Chicago, Habib is no stranger to violence. The lure of gang activity lurks outside his door. He’s watched countless friends pulled into that life. People close to Habib have spent time behind bars as a result of gang-related shootings. But Habib has found refuge in the halls of Lincoln Park High School and as a star on the football team under head coach Vincent DeFrancesco.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving friends in my neighborhood that I ended up coming to school with here helped us stay away from [gang activity],\u201d Habib said. \u201cHaving a good coach like Coach D, having people like that, just helps us so much.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finding success as an athlete has been an uphill climb for Habib. Entering high school, he was barely five feet tall. Still, Habib dressed for varsity games his freshman year and received playing time during his sophomore season. By the time he was a junior, he was a key part of Lincoln Park’s conference championship team.<\/p>\n

Now a 5-foot-8, 165-pound senior, Habib has made his most significant contribution this season through the passion, intensity, and tenacity that he brings every game. After a crushing defeat against Kenmore in the second week of the season, Habib gathered his team and demanded a film session the following Monday. During their week five matchup with Lane Tech, Habib was injured and unable to play, but constantly shuttled around the sideline, coaching his teammates and doing his best to motivate. One week later against Taft, Lincoln Park\u2019s starting quarterback went down with a broken collarbone and Habib stepped up to learn an entirely new position–quarterback–just to give his team the best chance to win the following game.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know on Friday night, there\u2019s a guy that wants to win more than anyone on the field, and that\u2019s Dee,\u201d DeFrancesco said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s the kid I want to put our season on with our backs against the wall needing to win out. He\u2019s going to welcome that moment. He\u2019s going to play really well in that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jeremiah Rials, a junior running back at Lincoln Park, grew up in the same neighborhood as Habib and has known him since childhood. \u201cI\u2019ve always looked up to him as a player and a role model on the field,\u201d Rials said. \u201cI always knew him as a great athlete and like a big brother to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

The quarterback change effectively saved Lincoln Park\u2019s season. With Habib under center, the Lions ran the ball more, committed fewer turnovers and controlled the clock more effectively. This allowed DeFrancesco\u2019s team to rattle off three consecutive victories to bring their regular season record to 5-4. Lincoln Park qualified for both the state and city playoffs but was eliminated from each in consecutive weeks.<\/p>\n

According to Coach DeFrancesco, Habib\u2019s performance at quarterback \u201cprovided a huge spark needed\u201d to secure Lincoln Park\u2019s fifth consecutive IHSA state playoff berth. He received all-city and all-conference honors for his performance this season.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing named to the all-conference team is okay,\u201d Habib said. \u201cI\u2019m working for bigger things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many kids grow up dreaming about playing in the NFL. Habib just wants to play Division I college ball, though with his size he knows even that is a long shot, no matter his production. As of now, Habib has only received interest from Division III schools such as the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.<\/p>\n

\u201cDee\u2019s issue is one that he\u2019s not able to control, and that\u2019s how tall he is,\u201d DeFrancesco said. \u201cDee has played great against really good competition and kids that are going and pursuing college football and getting scholarships and a lot of that has to do with their height. Dee\u2019s athletic ability is as good as anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Habib wants to play at the next level to make his family proud and save his parents the burden of paying for an expensive college education. As someone who got his start in a community sports program, Habib aspires to study sports management in college with the goal of developing youth programs to educate kids on the fundamentals of sports. \u201cIf I don\u2019t get a D1 offer, I\u2019m still going to go to college because I need that degree,\u201d Habib said. \u201cI want to be the first in my family to graduate college. Football comes and goes and sometimes you have to hang the cleats up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since his freshman year Habib has consistently improved in the classroom, a product of his diligent work ethic. As for the college coaches who doubt his abilities, Habib is confident his talent, heart and work ethic will lead to success. \u201cStep in front of me and prove me wrong,\u201d Habib said. \u201cJust give me a chance. Look at me and see what I can do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Photo at top: Awudu “Dee” Habib (#32) hopes to chase his dream and play Division I football. (Justin Birnbaum\/MEDILL)<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Justin Birnbaum Medill Reports Gunshots sometimes wake Awudu \u201cDee\u201d Habib in the middle of the night. They can sound as if they\u2019re going off in the bedroom of his fifth-floor apartment. On nights like that, Habib takes cover beneath his bed. Growing up in Uptown, on the North Side of Chicago, Habib is no […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":534,"featured_media":74993,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4447],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-74714","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fall-2018"],"yoast_head":"\nHabib has his eyes on Dee-vision I football - Medill Reports Chicago<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/habib-has-his-eyes-on-dee-vision-i-football\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Habib has his eyes on Dee-vision I football - Medill Reports Chicago\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Justin Birnbaum Medill Reports Gunshots sometimes wake Awudu \u201cDee\u201d Habib in the middle of the night. 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