Youth Equipped to Succeed’s (YES) “Celebration! – A Night Of Hope And Connection” Honorary Co-Chairs Nancy and Ron Houston just finalized plans for the fundraiser on Thursday, April 18.

Taking place at the Omni Dallas Hotel, the dinner’s keynote speaker will be former NFL players/author Brad Cousino, whose memoir, “Unwanted, Unworthy, Unshackled” revealed his 18 years of living in a “dysfunctional, alcoholic home where physical and emotion abuse were the norm.”
Born out of wedlock to a couple in their early teens, none of his direct family lineage of great-grandparents, grandparents or parents had graduated from an accredited high school. He decided the way to break the cycle of abuse was education.
In addition to graduating from high school, he set his sights on college. But money was the problem. So, he took “a job cleaning out putrid sewers at $4.50/hr.” to pay for one quarter of college. That way he could try out for the football team with the hope of earning a scholarship. Despite being the smallest defensive lineman in Division One college football, he not only won the scholarship but “was awarded All-American honors for two years in a row.”
Even with those accomplishment, the NFL took its time recruiting him because, at 5’10”, the “official NFL scouting report stated he was ‘too short, too small and too slow’.” But once again Brad didn’t let a challenge stand in his way and as a “free-agent he went on to become one of the elite special teams players (and smallest linebacker) in the NFL for the Cincinnati Bengals, New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers.”
Recognizing that professional football was not going to be a longtime venture, he became a “successful commercial real estate investor, developer and property manager specializing in multi-office building complexes, high rise offices, industrial warehouses, multifamily apartment projects, self-storage facilities, etc., and either owned, developed or managed over $300,000,000 in investment grade real estate properties.”
His personal life has been another success story, having been married for 46 years to Tami Cousino and having four children and 11 grandchildren.
Brad’s story is one that can resonate with YES supporters and the students in the YES program.
Sponsorship opportunities and tickets for the dinner are available here.
* Graphic courtesy of Youth Equipped to Succeed