Some people find motivation from inside, and others find it from role models on the outside.

Nezar Haddad gets a lot of his motivation and talent from his family. Haddad had two brothers before him showing the ropes and teaching the recent Parkland graduate what it takes to be successful on the gridion and mat, and in the classroom as well.

He also does the same for a younger brother as well.

"Ziad and Tarek were huge influences on me," Haddad said on his two older brothers. "They set the bar high for me. I had the feeling of winning gold medals through them. They were very competitive."

Ziad, the oldest of the Haddad brothers, is a wrestler at Kutztown University, and Tarek is a football player at East Stroudsburg University.

Naze was a prominent athlete in both sports while at Parkland, and was recently named the Parkland Press Male Athlete of the Year.

As a member of the football team, his Trojans won consecutive District 11 Class AAAA titles the past two years, as he was a stout linebacker on a dominating defense.

Haddad also shined on the wrestling mat. During his career he was a state runner up while qualifying three times for the PIAA tournament, a Northeast Regional champion, a three time District 11 champ and a winner of the Escape the Rock tournament with a career 129-36 record, going 45-3 during his senior season.

"It meant a lot," said Haddad of the accolades. "I worked really hard for it and appreciate the notice I received. It's every athlete's dream to do big things. I put in a lot of work to get to where I am."

That hard work really paid off for Haddad, as colleges noticed. The Parkland grad committed to wrestle at Drexel University over other scholarship offers from Rutgers, Maryland, and Clarion.

"Drexel was the biggest school that looked at me, and it was just the best fit for me," said Haddad. "The city (Philadelphia) is a great time, but also the coach was great and the program was on the rise. It's also a great education."

Haddad will be majoring in engineering management and is currently on campus taking summer classes and working out in preparation of the season this winter.

While his individual success shone bright on the wrestling mat, he was a big reason the Trojans football team has won back-to-back LVC and District 11 championships.

"It was an awesome feeling," Haddad said. "Kids stepped up and became starters. We will always be remembered as a team that did big things."

Football came into his life at an early age. At six years old, Haddad began running around the field. But wrestling came even earlier, at age five. And that became the sport that he grew attached to.

Watching past Parkland greats such as Austin Scott (football) and John Trenge (wrestling) also helped Haddad become the athlete he is today.

Even with all of the success at sports, Haddad realizes that being a great student comes first, and Parkland High School set him up to be just that.

"High school did a great job preparing us for college," said Haddad. "They gave us help whenever we needed it. I am very grateful for my four years there."

Now is his time to prove what he has been taught for the next four-year career.