UNLV defensive end Antonio Zepeda has overcome some disturbing obstacles in his life and long odds to become an NCAA Division I college football player.
He was only 3 months old when his father was sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder. When he was 8 and virtually homeless, sleeping on park benches most nights, Child Protective Services took Zepeda away from his mother, a drug addict whom he said once tried to drown him.
A TOUGH CHILDHOOD
“I never had a relationship with (my parents),” said Zepeda, 21. “Basically, I’ve been on my own since I was 8 years old.