There were times Florida Atlantic linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair had trouble focusing on football.
His mind would often drift, thinking of his younger brothers Abdul-Lateef and Abdur-Rahmaan back home in Tampa. He wondered if they were eating, if they were safe.
He doesn’t have those thoughts anymore, because Al-Shaair moved them to his Boca Raton apartment last summer.
At 20, he serves as the father figure of the household.
“It’s better because I know what they’re doing every day,” Al-Shaair said. “Back home, I had no clue what they were getting into or who could be messing with them. It’s better from that standpoint.”
Al-Shaair made the decision because his mother, Naadhirah Lennon, was struggling financially. The family is no stranger to hardship. They were homeless for most of Al-Shaair’s high school years. After getting things stable last year, they once again fell on hard times.
It was then when Al-Shaair intervened by suggesting the brothers join him at FAU. They both declined to be interviewed.
“It’s been fun,” said Al-Shaair, who leads the Owls with 134 tackles. “I was always thinking about them when they were back home … It’s kind of funny because I feel like a parent.”
A junior, Al-Shaair helped his mother enroll them at Boca Raton High School. After a practice in early August, he rushed across Glades Road to make registration day. He then returned to the FAU facility to complete his post-practice workout.
Although he isn’t their legal guardian, Al-Shaair is now experiencing a little of what it’s like to be a single parent in college. He makes sure his brothers, who are 17 and 15, are fed. When they arrive home from school each day, he makes sure they do their homework.
“I’m trying to make it easier on my mom,” Al-Shaair said. “They were doing bad in school with their grades (in Tampa). I moved them here to put them in a different environment.”
The living situation has become so comfortable they already have a set schedule. On Thursdays, they watch movies, because it’s Al-Shaair’s lightest work day.
“It’s been different,” Al-Shaair said. “Being in college, you always have advisors checking on you, so I feel like an advisor.”
Al-Shaair’s willingness to help others comes as no surprise. Last month, a group of Owls players were sitting on campus when they were approached by a student who said she was homeless. She asked the players if they could swipe their IDs in the cafeteria so she could eat.
None of them had their cards, but Al-Shaair reached in his wallet and handed her a $50 bill. It was the cash stipend from the NCAA the players were given a day earlier for Thanksgiving.
“That’s just his personality,” said safety Jalen Young, who is among Al-Shaair’s closest friends on the team. “He’s always the person that is trying to do the right thing no matter what. Azeez just pulls out $50 and gives it to her. A normal person isn’t going to do that. A person with a good, solid heart does that.”
He intended to use that money to feed his brothers. Al-Shaair changed his mind because the scene reminded of when he was in the same situation a few years ago. He was often on the receiving end of handouts.
“I gave her the money because I know that feeling,” Al-Shaair said. “It’s embarrassing. You have to walk up to somebody you don’t even know and ask them for something. I’ve been in that situation before.”
Added FAU coach Lane Kiffin: “He’s extremely humble, no issues. This is a unique story, a unique kid, very mature. He’s going to play at the next level for a long time.”
Before thinking of a potential NFL career, Al-Shaair will just continue to enjoy this rewarding experience. He has eased the burden on his mother while being a role model to his brothers.
“I don’t plan on having my own kids any time soon,” Al-Shaair said. “I feel like I got so many nieces and nephews but it’s been fun. They’re at the age where they can still do stuff on their own but I can kind of help them with whatever they need.”
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