Runs in the Family - Sarah Spain

A revelatory examination of the choices we make as parents and children, explored through the true story of an adopted Black man on a journey to find his biological family and discover where and to whom he truly belongs.Runs in the Family follows the remarkable true story of Deland McCullough, a football coach and father of four whose life was forever changed by the unsealing of his adoption records. His hidden past harbored an astonishing secret. In 1972, sixteen-year-old Carol Briggs gave birth to Jon Kenneth Briggs during a snowstorm in Pittsburgh and made the difficult decision to put him up for adoption, hoping he would land in a stable, two-parent household. Adopted by a well-known Youngstown, Ohio, radio DJ and his wife, Jon was renamed Deland McCullough. Delands childhood was far from idyllic, disrupted by his adoptive parents turbulent divorce and his mothers subsequent abusive relationships. Amid this uncertainty and instability at home, football became a sanctuary, providing Deland with mentorship and a sense of belonging. He learned to channel his insecurities and feelings of disconnection into an unrelenting drive to prove his doubters wrong and surpass the expectations others had for him. After making the transition from professional player to respected coach, Delands longing to understand his origins intensified, driven by a desire to fill out his family medical history and piece together the fragmented parts of his identity. The search that ensued led to a lif
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