The Most Dedicated Ever

What are champions made of? What does it take to reach the pentacle of your profession or to reach your lifelong dream? I am going to tell you a story about a young man whom I know very well, his goals, accomplishments, struggles and the path he has been upon for 19 years. Up front, I will tell you that this is a special person. In my life as an athlete and a coach, I have seen no one with the determination, tenacity and dedication as this young man has.

At the age of 5, he started wrestling. From the very 1st time he stepped on the mat, you could tell he not only had talent and ability, he had the winner gene. His effort was tremendous even at this early age. He took his lumps as a young wrestler. He kept working to perfect his skills and over time he won. In 3rd and 4th grade he was undefeated. He won every match with a pin but one and won it 20-5. This young child would walk into a gym as a 4th grader and everyone expected him to win. He was a marked man, child. As a 5th grader the pressures of the expectation of winning got to him. He took a year off with the advice of his dad. As a 6th grader he wrestled on the middle school team, took his lumps but ended up going undefeated as a 7th and 8th grader. More on his wrestling career later.

This young man started his football career as a 3rd grader. From the moment he stepped on the field you could tell he was a natural. He seemed to be stronger and quicker than most. He had the ability to hit at a very young age. If someone told him he couldn’t, that drove him to work even harder. He played football and wrestler through middle and high school and was very successful. The teams he was a part of won. Each level he moved up, it seemed that he took his lumps the 1st year and shined the next year. As a 7th grader he took hits that were devastating, but as an 8th grader, he was delivering devastating hits. When he moved to high school, football became a little tougher. He was following the pattern. His freshman year was tough. As a sophomore, he was the starting center at 190 lbs on a 4-A team in Georgia. This is ironic since he had always played running back and linebacker. Nothing was said, he wanted to play, and he wanted to be on the field and did what he had to do to get there. As a junior and senior he played linebacker with great success. He led the team in tackles both years. As a senior, he was the team caption and the glue that held the team together. Now, here is where the tenacity and dedication comes in. As a junior he placed 2nd in the state at 215 in wrestling. The person he lost to was graduating so he was projected to win state his senior year. Things don’t always go as planned.

Prior to his senior year he competed in several combines and did well. He was strong, quick, could jump and was smart. His height was the only thing that was holding him back to a degree. A few nagging injuries kept him from doing his best, but he still moved forward. Entering his senior year he had 3 goals. One was a state championship in football, a state championship in wrestling and one in weight lifting. All of the goals were very achievable for him. Again, things don’t always go as planned.

Entering his senior year he was injured early and missed the 1st game. Coming back the 2nd game, he made an immediate impact. He was on a roll. Going into the playoffs the team looked good. They had a chance for a state title. In the 2nd round in the 3rd quarter he made a devastating hit on a running back, and got up slowly. He shook it off and played the next play, but moved very little. I knew he was hurt. I had seen this kid play with broken bones in elementary school. He would never come out of the game. He limped off of the field very slowly. He had been injured. He had torn his hip psoas . He was rushed to the hospital where an MRI and CAT scan was performed. For the next 5 days he was on crutches walking backwards. Were his chances of the state championship in football and wrestling diminishing? His team lost the next round of the playoffs. They played like their leader was no longer on the field. He wasn’t. This injury healed with hard work and maybe the state wrestling title was in site. Or was it? At wrestling practice as he was warming up, one of his team mates fell on his back and hurt it. He fought through the pain for several weeks. Finally he was diagnosed with 2 fractures in one of his vertebra. He was put into a brace with no activity for 6 weeks. His wrestling career was over plus the chance for the state championship in weight lifting. He continued to work and rehab his injury. During this time he had been offered a football scholarship from 2 Div. 1AA schools. These two schools football coaches left and took other jobs, the staffs left as well and he was lost in the shuffle. It happens! He pursued other opportunities and ended up being invited to walk on at Mississippi State University. He was invited into fall camp with the 105. He worked the summer before camp began. He was releases from his back injury the Friday before the Monday he reported. He wasn’t in the best shape of his life. Actually, he was probably in the worst shape he had ever been in prior to a football season. He moved forward, as he always did.

Practice started and he had questions about his back injury. Would it hold up? Was he completely healed? After the first hit he gave, he knew he was better. Things were going well. He had accomplished one of his dreams of playing Div. I, football, and for an SEC school. Injury struck again! He pulled his quad during a conditioning drill. Did this slow him down? NO! He moved forward. It healed. He was red shirted that season. The team made it to a bowl game and won. He was living out his dream. Then injury struck again. He suffered a bad hamstring pull. When spring practice started that year, he was at about 80%. He was moved to fullback and was excited of the prospect of being able to make it on the field in 2008. He started the spring and moved up the depth chart quickly to the # 2 slot. His hamstring wasn’t 100%, but he was still able to play. At the conclusion of spring practice, he met with his position coach and was dealt the most devastating blow yet. He was told he wasn’t going to be invited back to fall camp. This is what he has accomplished thus far at MSU. He is the strongest, quickest, fastest and toughest fullback they have. He is the strongest freshman on the team. He is tied for the strongest bench press on the team. He did all of this while taking a full load towards an electrical engineering degree.

This is what this young man has done since middle school. He would train before school, go to school, practice football or wrestling, go home, eat and do homework. He did this for 7 years. No one had to make him do it. He did it because it was the right thing to do and he knew that’s what had to be done if he was to accomplish his goals. He is a strong Christian young man who is very involved in his church. He influences adults in a positive way and makes who ever he’s around become better people. He is a one of a kind.

How do I know all of these facts and circumstances about this young man? He’s my son! He is an inspiration to me. He makes me a better person and a better dad every time I’m around him. I have had the privilege of raising him from a boy to the fine young man he is today. Josh has had a tremendous impact on many people, especially his dad. There have been times where I didn’t think he could take another step, but he did. He has been knocked down in life and most wouldn’t have gotten up, but he has. He is the most discipline, motivated, tenacious, hard working and good hearted person I know. He has a way with people and brightens up a room when he walks in. He knows no strangers. Josh is his dad’s hero. I wish I could be more like him.
So where does Josh go from here? Below is a letter Josh wrote to Coach Croom, the head football coach at Mississippi State University.

Dear Coach Croom,

My name is Josh Hines. I was recently cut from the football team after the 2008 spring game.

I was writing to inform you that I will not be joining the football team next fall but greatly appreciate the opportunity you have given me. I feel that God is pointing my life in a direction away from football and even though the decision to not play was extremely hard, I am eager to be used as a tool for Christ. I want you to know that in the short year that I was playing under you, you had a great influence on me not only as a player but more importantly a man. God Bless, Go Dogs, Take it to Atlanta!
Sincerely,

Josh Hines

As Josh’s dad, I am excited for his future. God has a plan for him. I know he will be used to influence many people. Whatever Josh decides to do, I know he will give it 100% and a tenacious fervor that is unmatched!