HCU student athlete overcomes hardship to earn full-ride scholarship

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- For the first time since the school started its program last decade, Houston Christian University will finish a football season with a winning record.

"It helps put HCU football on the map," head coach Braxton Harris explained to ABC13. "People recognize the caliber of Division I football we have here at HCU. This is a big city. There's a lot of competition for eyes around here."

Harris, in his first year as HCU bench boss, works with a whistle in his hand, bounce in his step, and three core values in his program. They include accountability, enthusiasm, and persistence. Senior linebacker Xavier McIntyre is one of those pillars personified.

"Xavier McIntyre embodies persistence for HCU football," Harris noted.

McIntyre, an Elkins High School product who wears jersey No. 23, ranks fourth on the team in tackles this season. However, his stats don't tell the whole story.

"Yeah, I'm doing great, but people don't know what it took to get here," McIntyre pointed out during an interview with ABC13.

After graduating high school in 2019, McIntyre - an undersized linebacker who did not have any scholarship offers - tried out for the team at UT-San Antonio. He then left after a year and a half and no playing time. Two years ago, McIntyre enrolled at HCU, still carrying a dream of playing college football, but without a scholarship to pay for his schooling.

"So for me to make money, I would have to wake up at 4 a.m. and Uber people to the airport before class," McIntyre explained of his early-morning routine while still balancing class and football.

Harris' hiring prior to this season, changed the direction of McIntyre's career - and so much more.

"All we did was give him an opportunity," Harris said of what his staff saw in McIntyre, a walk-on who recorded just two tackles during the 2022 season - his first season to see any playing time since his final high school campaign. "When he got those opportunities, he earned the next one and the next one. Now, we can't get him off the field."

McIntyre is now a starting linebacker for the most successful team in program history. But he's no longer a walk-on.

In August, three-and-a-half months after his father Rickey suddenly died, Xavier's mom and brother surprised him with the news he had earned a full scholarship.

"I broke down crying because I knew all the hard work and dedication had paid off," McIntyre recalled about the moment he learned he'd received a scholarship.

Neither the odds, nor circumstances ever seemed to be in his favor, yet McIntyre wouldn't quit. On Saturday, he'll play his final collegiate game - ending his career on his own terms.

"Being a walk-on, having my Dad pass away, having to work at 4 a.m. - you have to keep going, you can't quit," McIntyre said. "I can say I did it, I went out on my own. That's all I can ever ask for."

McIntyre will graduate from HCU in December with a degree in kinesiology and a plan to launch his own organic sports drink.

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