Throughout a career, an athlete can put in a large amount of time and effort, working to become the best athlete they can be. Jeradiah Hernandez knows that while the work is tough, it will all be worth it in the end.

“It has taken days and nights of building this image of who I want to be,” he said. “It’s taken commitment, discipline, and consistency to reach where I am now. I also have to keep myself motivated when things get tough. My biggest motivator is seeing that my work is paying off.”

Hernandez is a junior at Nathan Hale High School, where he runs track and plays football for the Rangers.

Being able to represent his school and community wherever he competes is something that is important to him.
 “It means a lot because our school is looked down on,” he said. “So to be able to help bring a positive image to Nathan Hale is one of the reasons why I work so hard to be great. Be on the lookout for Nathan Hale High School athletics. Don’t sleep on us.”

During his life, Jeradiah’s life has been influenced by a few different people, people that he looks up to as role models.

“My coaching staff from track to football have been important in my development as an athlete and a person,” he said. “They’re not just coaches, they are more like family. Another would be my eighth-grade science teacher. She came to me when times were rough to help. I’ll never forget that. Lastly, world-class sprinter Ronnie Baker. He came to our school and spoke to the team my freshman year and I learned a lot from him.”

Hernandez enjoys competing alongside his teammates and he appreciates all their hard work. But he says that there is one member of the team that flies under the radar.

“Silassonne Anderson-Ratliff is one of our underrated team members,” he said. “I believe that his talents go unnoticed by our teammates at times because he is a freshman. But if he sticks with it, we will be reading about him in the next two years.”