Degion Craddock embodies his favorite quote: “The harder you work, the harder it is to quit.”
“Degion is a very hard worker, very team oriented, and does whatever he has to do to be a help to his teammates. He is focused and very committed on the track and in the classroom,” head coach Wayne Angel said.
The business administration student from Queens, N.Y., has only been running for five years, but has become a vital part of the team’s success.
Craddock said balancing academics and athletics takes time and dedication.
“It’s not an easy task. You lose a lot of sleep because we have morning practices. You just have to stay consistent and create a schedule for yourself and stay strict with it,” Craddock said. “Set standards for yourself, like whether or not you go to parties knowing that you got practice tomorrow.”
In high school, Craddock was told by his basketball coach if he did not run track, he could not play basketball. That ultimatum changed the course of his athletic career. Craddock said he was originally upset with this decision made by his coach but forced himself to deal with it in order to continue playing his true love of basketball. Craddock started winning every race in high school and instantly excelled at the sport. He said the best part of his decision was track gave him the opportunity to come to Florida A&M.
Coach Wayne Angel anticipates on Craddock being one of his top runners this season.
Craddock has maintained a 3.0 GPA. He is also involved in the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA), where he is on the fundraising committee, a member of the Caribbean Student Association (CSA) as well as the Northeastern Vibe Organization (NVO).
This season, Craddock is looking to improve in the 800-meter run, 4×8 relay, the DMR (Distance Medley Relay) and his favorite event, the 4×4 relay in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men’s track and field finals for the Rattlers.
Craddock said his competitive nature should help him better prepare for his goals.
“I love competition,” Craddock said. “Even if I know the person is ten times faster than me, just knowing that I’m going to race somebody fast gets my adrenaline pumping.”