My all-time favorite quote is “Hard work yields profit, and mere talk leads to poverty.”

I heard it for the first time when I was a sophomore in college and it has stuck with me everyday since.

I carry it with me in all I do and it drives me to strive for greatness.  But just as no man is defined by one thing, I am not defined by one quote.
So who am I?  Well, the simplest answer would be that I am just a kid from the small town of Waynesboro a city that has shared somewhat of a rivalry with the city of Brookhaven through the years.
Beyond that I am a recent graduate of Mississippi State University, where I earned my Bachelor’s of Arts and Sciences Degree with an emphasis in journalism.

But even further beyond that I am an avid sports fan. For me Sunday night is not a regular night. It is a sanctuary of sorts.
In my opinion the most beautiful, purest form of art is Stephen Curry crossing over a defender and pulling up from the bleachers, walking away defiantly with three fingers held high on each hand as the ball falls through the basket. Swish!

To me nothing can compare to seeing Bryce Harper smack one 400 plus feet out of the park or watching Billy Hamilton fly around the bases at breakneck speed.
To put it delicately, I eat, sleep, and breathe sports. I feel that is a connection that I share with many of my fellow man. Most especially those who yearn to return to their “glory days” of varsity football. The days when for just a brief moment they could play the hero.

The days when we could stick our tongues out, mimicking the great Michael Jordan because for some of us that was the closest we would ever come to such greatness.
The days where we could score the  game-winning touchdown and thrust both arms into the air triumphantly as if we had just won the Lombardi Trophy.

I cherish those moments, even when I am not the one in them. I believe God blesses us all with unique talents and it is up to us to decide how we employ them.
After all, we all can’t snag one handed passes like Odell Beckham Jr., but some of us can depict the moment in words.

So, to answer the question of who I am, I’m nothing more than a kid who loves to write and who is honored to be able to bring you some of the area’s finest athletic moments for years to come.

Anthony McDougle is the new sports editor of The Daily Leader. Contact him at anthony.mcdougle@dailyleader.com