A homeless student in Washington, D.C., with a scholarship, was kicked off his team because he did not have a permanent place to live. However, just last week, the 18-year-old running back for the Ballou High School Knights has been recruited by Temple University and offered a home.

Jamal Speaks who attends Ballou-STAY Opportunity Academy was not able to play football for the school at the request of principal Willie Jackson. Temple coaches attended a Ballou game on Saturday to see him in action, but before the 18-year-old stepped onto the field, Speaks said that he was sidelined because he had no official residence. Speaks’ teammates tried to induce for him to play, but Jackson disallowed it and reportedly threatened to fire the team coach.

D.C. Public Schools officials say the District of Columbia State Athletic Association determined that Speaks is eligible to play, but the District of Columbia Interscholastic Athletic Association said that he is ineligible because they could not verify an address. D.C. Public Schools said they were working with the DCSAA to resolve the situation.

Speaks said that he had no family support since his father is deceased and he doesn’t have a relationship with his mother, so he slept on friends’ couches.

On Wednesday, A local shelter for homeless youth, called Covenant House Greater Washington announced that they had heard Speaks’ story and offered him a home. “After hearing that Jamal was experiencing homelessness and at-risk of losing the ability to pursue his dream of attending college and playing football, I knew that CHGW had to help,” the organization’s CEO, Dr. Madye Henson, said in a statement.

Friday was Speaks’ first game of the season. In addition to earning his spot back on the team, Speaks has raised more than $20,000 in donations from GoFundMe.

“I love you all. Thank you all so much. I just want to say that from the bottom of my heart,” Speaks said Friday after his team’s win. “I just want to go to college and play football.” Speaks has verbally committed to play football at Temple University in Philadelphia next year.