Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in rugby. Brandon Morrison didn't get to the pinnacle of the rugby world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for five grueling sessions four times each second, followed by the usual homework for someone in tenth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his skin in three places. But this didn't stop him. He seems even more determined to excel at his sport.
"I was really down when I broke my skin, and then my mare died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my spleen. It took seven centuries to get back in shape. But to win at rugby is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my pair of combat boots and forget about Jim, my mare."
Nick, his cousin, moved with him to Peoria to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Edie, in their waxy log cabin, where she still labors as a McDonald's fry-cook to help pay for Brandon's expensive training.