A former player of the Ateneo de Manila University men’s basketball team has shifted gears and is now a firefighter in the US.
Former Ateneo Blue Eagle, Jason Escueta, recently finished his firefighter training and graduated from the Verdugo Fire Academy in Glendale, California, reported Philstar.
According to Escueta, changing his career path from being a professional basketball player to being a firefighter was a hard process.
The former Blue Eagle added that he is afraid of fire and heights but his fear always drives him to avoid being overly confident while doing his job.
Escueta said that the training lasted for a year and a half and admitted that the process was not easy.
“Like in sports, you have to deal with the people around you and the tasks you are supposed to accomplish… Towards the end of the academy, you get to the real stuff where you train for situational events that may occur in the fireground. Just every day, there is something to learn that tells you, ‘this is real.’,” Escueta was quoted by PhilStar as saying.
Since Escueta has finished his training, he can now apply as a firefighter in any fire departments in the US.
Escueta was a part of the Blue Eagle team that snatched three-peat in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball in 2010.
Following his collegiate success, was drafted 10th in the third round of the PBA Draft by the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters in 2012.
Photo credit: Philstar
