Cassidy’s perseverance pays off as he succeeds in life
On Sept.1, 2006 at the age of 16, the life of Robert Cassidy was altered forever.
Cassidy, who played football for Ruleville Central High School which is now known as Thomas E. Edwards Sr. High School, was competing in a football game against Gentry High School. On on a play where he was blocking for the receiving team, he collided with an opposing player. The damage done to him on the play would leave him paralyzed from the chest down as he was confined to a wheelchair.
Fast forward 19 years later, Cassidy has carved out his niche in the world. He has made a great living by owning his own real estate investment business while working as a photographer. The fieldhouse by the football field at Thomas E. Edwards Sr. High School is officially named the Robert C. Cassidy Fieldhousee and the game between the Thomas E. Edwards Sr. High School Tigers and the Gentry High School Rams is named the Robert Cassidy Unity Bowl.
Cassidy is overjoyed with the good things that have happened to him in his life since the life changing injury.
“It’s surreal sometimes sitting back thinking about all the accolades and all the different things that people have poured into me,” said Cassidy. “I’m just so blessed to have a community who thinks of me in that light in order to do something on a grand scale like naming the fieldhouse and naming the game after me. I’ll never be able to pay those people back who are responsible for doing all of these things on my behalf in my honor. I’ll never be able to show and give back all the love and admiration they’ve given me from 16 years old up until now. I’m just extremely blessed and grateful to my school, my community and all those people in the surrounding areas that have shown support through out the years.”
Cassidy had surgery at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson and went through rehabilitation at the Methodist Rehabilitation Center in Jackson for two months. During the time he was rehabbing his injuries, Cassidy was determined he was going to have a good life.
“At that particular moment, it was a challenge,” said Cassidy. “I didn’t know what was next. At that point, I was taking it day by day. Everything was new to me and new to my family. It was a challenge, but it was a challenge worth fighting for. I was still young, and I had my whole life ahead of me. I had to look at it from that aspect and from that lens.
“I was going through my rehab and just getting better everyday. Getting better everyday and getting back to my friends, community and school were the only things I had to look forward to. That kept me grounded and motivated.”
Cassidy said there were times in the hospital when it was tough coping with what he was going through during rehabilitation.
“When something is new and uncertain, you have those challenges and things that come to your mind as to what’s next, what comes with this and what now,” said Cassidy. “I just stayed positive and optimistic, and I had to look at it from that light. My church family and pastor encouraged me and motivated me to keep God first and put my best foot forward and that’s what I did.
Cassidy graduated from Ruleville Central High School in 2008 and went to college at Delta State University where he received his degree in business administration in 2012
While Cassidy was going to college and studying, he knew he didn’t want to spend his life as a regular employee working under somebody.
“I knew I always wanted to work for myself, but I didn’t know what business I wanted to be in,” said Cassidy. “At that particular time, a lady, Maggie Crawford, came to me. She wanted me to think about real estate. That was always in the back of my mind. I didn’t indulge in it until after I graduated college. I went on and went to real estate school, and I became a realtor. I did that for a year, and I ventured off and started my own real estate business a couple of years later.
“I always wanted to be my own boss. I knew I didn’t want to work for anybody. That was just my way of thinking. College life was fun, and it taught me some valuable lessons. I had some great mentors like Abe Hudson who was one of my college advisers. He stayed on me as well. I think those skills I learned in college transferred over into what I’m doing today.”
With his photography, Cassidy specializes in shooting portraits and family events. Cassidy first bought a camera when he was doing some public speaking. When Cassidy wasn’t having speaking engagements, he wanted to continue to use his camera.
“I had a camera so I might as well put it to use and that’s how my photography came about,” said Cassidy.
Sunflower County Consolidated School Superintendent James Johnson, who was the Ruleville Central High School Principal at the time Cassidy got hurt, said Cassidy’s presence and personality lift people up.
“Robert has been an inspiration,’ said Johnson. “Anyone that meets him is going to leave a better person than they were before they knew him. He’s very intelligent and hardworking. No limitations that he received due to that injury has stopped him from doing anything that he wanted to do as far as what he’s doing in life right now. When he was a student, he was very intelligent student. He always wanted to be involved in something and help in anyway.”
One noticeable thing about Cassidy is he is always smiling
Thomas E. Edwards Sr. High School Principal Errick Lakes, who was the Head Football Coach at Ruleville when Cassidy was a manager for the football team, said Cassidy serves as an inspiration.
“That smile brightens up any room or any place he may have come in,” said Lakes. “Some people might be down and out about the situation, but Robert has turned what happened to him into something to inspire other people who may have injuries such as his. He’s worked through his situation, and he’s become one of the productive citizens of society with his realtor’s license. He’s a photographer, and he’s a motivator. He didn’t let what happened to him determine his future, and he has a great future ahead of him.”
The Robert Cassidy Unity Bowl will be played on Friday (Sept. 5) when the Gentry High School Rams come to Ruleville. The game is scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m.