New sports editor in town

“I’m not sure what to do with my hands.”

When I was looking for a quote to start my introduction article, this is all that I could think of. I do, in fact, know what to do with my hands. But I don’t know how to introduce myself without sounding conceited, full of myself, and like I’m bragging. I surely do not want to come off that way, but nonetheless, I do need to talk about myself. So, thank you, (cinematic) NASCAR legend Ricky Bobby, for giving me this ice-breaker quote to get this out of the way.

A ‘Jack of all trades’ is something that encompasses myself, my spirit, and my experiences throughout this fun journey we call ‘life’. I was born and raised in a small, rural town in Northeast Ohio (fun fact: I have the same area code as LeBron James, and I watched him play a few games in high school). The first time I drove into Clinton, I was taken back to my upbringing — fields, tractors, and a slower way of life than what I am now used to. At the ripe age of 20 years old, I knew everything and was ready to take on the world. So, I joined the Army. Those adventures took me to Texas, where I met my now-wife, and my daughter was born. While my time in the service had ended, my wife’s had not. During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Army told us we were moving to Colorado Springs, Colorado. Once her time was done there, we were again moved, this time to Fort Liberty, North Carolina.

After the Army, I have held various positions. My background has primarily been in construction, because that’s what I’ve known. It’s easy to find a job that you have years of experience in. But I wanted more. Since I was a kid, listening to local and national radio DJs (shoutout to Bob & Tom), I knew I wanted to get my voice out there. Whether that was my literal voice on the radio, or my written ‘voice’ through publication, it didn’t matter. I just wanted people to hear my opinions, my stories, and my way of getting information out there. This led me to a position at a craft beer blog out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, while still living in Colorado. While the blog and podcast aren’t around these days, I still help out with content creation and other things I can take care of from North Carolina.

One thing that has stayed constant throughout my changes in life has been my love of sports. My primary sport is football, something that has been engrained in me since I can remember. Where I’m from, football isn’t just a sport — it’s a way of life. My teams are THE Ohio State Buckeyes and my beloved Pittsburgh Steelers, but I love watching football from every level. I am very much a ‘Monday morning’ or ‘armchair’ quarterback, and I would be an eight-time Super Bowl winner if I had the opportunity to do so. I am also a well-below average golfer, but very few people on the course have as much fun as I do. From NASCAR Cup Series to dirt track racing, from 4A high school football to the Super Bowl, there are very few sports I don’t enjoy watching, especially locally.

In my free time, you can find me hanging out with my daughter. She is very much like me, and needs to have new hobbies constantly. Stagnation and her do not belong in the same sentence. Her longest hobby to date has been the miniature garden we are growing in five gallon buckets in our backyard, consisting of three different varities of tomatoes, cucumbers, mint, bell peppers, and even a chili pepper plant for myself. We also attend various sporting events, local happenings, and dabble in some minor amatuer photography when it’s not too hot.

I am very excited to take this leap in my career to deliver the best possible product to our fantastic readers. I cannot wait to meet everyone, build relationships, and deliver the best news reporting myself and my team can.