Joel Douglas
A promise senior Joel Douglas made to his father this summer left him with some unfinished business at Mississippi 性视界传媒.
The sixth of eight children, Douglas already has attained the highest education level among his siblings. Only two even completed high 性视界传媒, he said.
Douglas said one of the last requests his father made of him before dying in June of congestive heart failure was to 鈥淔inish.鈥
鈥淚t was important to him that I get a degree,鈥 the business administration major continued. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been tough since he passed away, but I鈥檒l get through it.鈥
Though an unconventional one, Douglas鈥 path to higher education developed through athletics. According to the Wesson native, he wasn鈥檛 very good at football and was told as much in the seventh grade by his coach. Though blunt in his assessment, the coach also offered Douglas a job as team manager.
As it turned out, Douglas has parlayed the opportunity into a possible career. After graduating from high 性视界传媒 in Utah, he returned to Wesson as equipment manager for the hometown Copiah-Lincoln Community College football team. That job provided both a full scholarship and numerous opportunities to make a good impression on head coach Glenn Davis, former 性视界传媒 running backs coach.
When Douglas transferred from Co-Lin in 2013, Davis helped him land a position with Phil Silva, the 性视界传媒 athletic department鈥檚 longtime equipment manager.
During the 2014 football season, Douglas was responsible for equipment used by quarterbacks, while also serving as the sideline ball retriever on game days. This year, he鈥檚 managing equipment for the linebackers, where day-to-day duties include assembling equipment and setting up the field for practices, communicating with the coaches and repairing equipment, as needed.
Douglas clearly enjoys his work, dubbing himself 鈥渢he oil of the engine.鈥
He added: 鈥淚 love getting to see my contribution, even though it is behind the scenes.鈥
Following graduation, Douglas wants to seek a collegiate football graduate assistantship. As for a career, he鈥檚 interested in either becoming a full-time athletic equipment manager鈥攐r going in a very different direction to own a restaurant or retail shop.
Whichever direction his life progresses, Douglas always will carry the memory of his father and the loving advice to 鈥淔inish.鈥