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So rough, in fact, that even to this day, he is reluctant to talk about it. Haggins was just three when his alcoholic father moved, severing ties with the family. He returned nine years later and the two tried to rebuild a shattered relationship. During this time, the elder Haggins' was diagnosed with tuberculosis and lung cancer. Three years after his return, Haggins' father passed away. In response to this turbulent chapter in his life, Haggins began to let his surroundings get the best of him. Constantly in trouble, the hard-nosed teenager struggled in school, and more often than not, failed to attend. He and his friends found themselves enticed by danger. "Growing up, I was very destructive," said Haggins. "I was stubborn and had a bad temper. That, combined with the fact that I ran with the wrong crowd, kept me in trouble." Ironically, it was while headed down that destructive path that Haggins had his first |
"She played a big part in helping me change for the better," said Haggins. "I was with her every day. She showed me that I could succeed. With her help, I realized that I was headed down the wrong road. She treated me like I was one of her own kids. No one outside of my family had ever shown me that type of attention." Despite gradually avoiding trouble, Haggins still struggled in the classroom. He needed three years of summer school to catch up after an unsuccessful freshman year. Each term, he barely stayed above the 2.0 grade-point average required to play basketball. Nonetheless, the determined Haggins managed to graduate on time.
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