Many of us have Sports Heroes….I know I do….
Ricky Benton & Mike Hester, William McGirt, Ann Hancock, Desmond Bryant, Russell Wilson, and all the local athletes who have moved on to the next level, some with much success….others still reaching for the stars….are all on my list of sports heroes.
Benton, from Cerro Gordo, is owner of a NASCAR Racing team. With support of Black’s Tire, Benton and Bladenboro’s Mike Hester are hopeful of winning the Daytona Truck race with David Gilliland behind the wheel of # 92. The outcome of the Daytona race may determine how many races they will be participating in this season….Go #92…A win and more sponsors are needed.
William McGirt, a Fairmont native, has made huge strides in the past few years, earning over a $1.2 million last year and over $300,000 so far this year. He shot a 68 Thursday in the first round of the Northern Trust Open and is 2 strokes behind the leaders Played college golf at Wofford. Turned pro in 2005 making stops on the eGolf tour, the Hooters tour, and the FairWay tour, before making it to the ‘big show.’
Ann Hancock…Set academic and athletic records at East Bladen HS & Wingate University…coaching stops along the way at UNC, UNCW, ECU and back to Wingate, where her teams have improved every year since she became the girls basketball coach….13-16 overall the first year, 24-6 last year and as of February 19, 2015 her team is 19-7, hving won 14 of the last 15 games….
Desmond Bryant…A big, athletic, smart young man at East Bladen HS, a graduate of Harvard… not drafted but signed on as a free agent with the Oakland Raiders…Became starter on the defensive line…after 2 or 3 years..sign a $30 plus million contract with the Cleveland Browns and earned his ‘keep’ after overcoming heart problems a year ago…He is a man..with a pocketful of money and a bright future ahead…
Russell Wilson…You know the story…QB at NC State, decided to play professional baseball. That did not go as he had hoped…QB spot was taken at State so he went north for his final year of college football…playing at the University of Wisconsin….picked in the 3rd round (75th overall pic) of NFL draft and has become one of the best NFL quarterbacks..with Super Bowl ring, and just missed a second championship, losing a few weeks ago to the New England Pats 28-24. It’s contract time and he may need a big brown truck (UPS) to carry his money to the bank…
You can rise from Elizabethtown, Bladenboro, Cerro Gordo & Fairmont to the ‘big stage.’ As the late Jim Valvano proclaimed….Don’t give up, don’t ever give up….
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