CLEVELAND — In a room full of students at Glenville's Ginn Academy, sports agent Rich Paul reflected on growing up in Cleveland's Glenville neighborhood.
The visit coincides with the release of Paul's new memoir "Lucky Me," which delves into the relationships and lessons Paul learned as a means to not just survive but thrive.
In it, Paul recounts growing up in a part of town where he said crack took over, easier and cheaper to buy than cigarettes.
"My mother was addicted to crack cocaine," Paul recounted to students. "I used to go 6-8 months without seeing my mom. No birthday, no senior night."
The Benedictine alum grew up in an apartment above his father's convenience store, located at Edmonton and East 125th Streets.
In the book, Paul admits he started selling pot at 11 years old, bought a gun at 12 years old, and almost became a father at 14.
Now, he’s looking into the eyes of others and trying to show how that life shouldn’t be what defines you but shouldn’t be forgotten either.
"Ultimately, you want to just grow from it, you want to evolve, you want to mature, and you want to find your purpose," Paul told News 5.
Nowadays, Paul is the face behind some of the biggest names in sports and represents the likes of Jalen Hurts, Draymond Green and LeBron James.
For high schoolers who were able to listen in to Paul, hope shines a little brighter on days like today.
"Seeing him gave us more confidence that we have great people from our community," class president Rameer Askew said.
Eventually, Paul transitioned away from drugs to selling high-end jerseys, which ultimately helped cultivate a friendship with LeBron James.
"He’s the example of hope for a lot of people and a lot of kids," Coach Ten Ginn Sr. said. "Life wasn't easy for him. He was one of the kids in our neighborhood who we ran around and gave directions, but the key to him is he was always respectful."
"Lucky Me" was released this week and can be purchased here.
Clay LePard is a special projects reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on Twitter @ClayLePard or on Facebook Clay LePard News 5.
