Patriots’ Lawrence Guy tackled learning disabilities to thrive in NFL article in Providence Journal

Patriots’ Lawrence Guy tackled learning disabilities to thrive in NFL from the Providence Journal

By Mark Daniels 

FOXBORO — Lawrence Guy, as a child, struggled with words and numbers. He had trouble reading and retaining information. He had trouble keeping up with his peers. To make it worse, he wasn’t getting the help he needed.Guy’s early memories of school are full of angst. Growing up in Las Vegas, he was placed in special-education classes in elementary and middle school. The teachers didn’t know how to help him there. They thought he was dealing with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), but without the proper testing, no one realized Guy had more hurdles to overcome.

“In middle school, they put you in a self-contained class because they didn’t want to deal with it,” Guy said. “Like every kid who has a learning disability, it was difficult. If we had the proper testing, we would’ve taken different measures. It was challenging through elementary and middle school.”

At Western High School, Guy turned into a legitimate football recruit. But in order for him to qualify academically, he had to take the same classes as his peers. He struggled but got through it. He still didn’t have a name for his disability.

Growing up, Guy was bullied for being different and in special-education classes. In college, the thought of attending the school’s Disability Resource Center gave him that same feeling of embarrassment.Guy was unwilling to step foot in that building and that first semester was a disaster. In danger of failing and being ruled academically ineligible, his father was called and a meeting was held. Among the people there was Jean Boyd, the associate athletic director for student development.“Athletes, elite athletes especially, because they gain so much positive feedback from people based on their athleticism, they feel like they’re super heroes. He felt like he was Superman,” Boyd said. “When you go over to a Disability Resource Center, there’s not just people who have learning disabilities, you have folks who are maybe blind or they have physical disabilities and things like that. ... He was fighting it because he didn’t necessarily look like other people there. That meeting was an eye opener for Guy. Afterward, he went to the Disability Resource Center and received the proper help for the first time in his life. ASU paired him with a learning specialist, who communicated with his football coaches.

Guy’s transformation at ASU was dramatic. By his sophomore year, he was thriving academically and was enjoying classes for the first time in his life. He took advantage of every tutor offered and was allowed extra time to take his exams.

Before long, Guy was a dual major in education and sociology. After nearly failing, his grade-point average rose to 3.5. He was named a “Scholar Baller” for his efforts. By the time he was an upperclassman, he was an advocate for the Disability Resource Center.“By the time he got to be an upperclassman, he was sitting with our athletes, even from other sports, who were reluctant to use the services,” Boyd said. “Then he also got involved with the community and would talk to young kids about the importance of education.”

“It was what I struggled with,” Guy added. “I knew if I was able to go to it, why shouldn’t other people go to it also? There shouldn’t be a stigma about, ‘Hey, don’t show up to the building because of the name.’ There’s nothing wrong with the building. ... At the time, I was like, ‘Well I’m going, you might as well join me. Don’t let the resources sit there and waste. You’re not going to get it back.’ ”

“Over the months and years at ASU, he really did mature,” Stretz said. “When you evaluate him in high school football, he was a man among boys. Unfortunately, on the flip side of it, when it came to the classroom and academics, due to his disabilities, it was kind of the polar opposite. But as time went by and he got dialed in and dedicated himself, you could really see him grow as a man. He’s one of those guys, you never forget about.”

Lifelong learner

This year marks Guy’s seventh in the NFL. The Patriots are his fifth NFL team. This season, he’s started a career-high 11 games on the defensive line. With four games left, he’s seven tackles away from setting a career-high.

Now 27, Guy learns differently, but his ADHD, dyslexia, and dyscalculia haven’t affected his ability to pick up the Patriots system. When the Patriots signed him to a four-year, $20-million contract, he took his lessons from ASU and applied them to learning the fifth playbook of his NFL career. For Guy, it’s about “studying and grouping.”

Guy takes pride in telling his story. He’s no longer embarrassed. He’s no longer afraid to learn.“The journey hasn’t stopped it,” Guy said. “I’m continuing to learn more and more every day I live. Going through what I went through, I look at it and I’m glad I went through it. It built me into who I am as a person.”