In honor of Fathers Day today, the staff of Duval Sports wanted to share their thoughts and stories about their relationship with their dad or male role model throughout their career and how they influenced them in sports.
So without further ado, here is our story about each of our role models told by founder Andre Ellis, lead writer Corey Davis and correspondent Makeda Lawton.
Andre Ellis
My father has always been a sports fan. He grew up playing sports in his neighborhood near downtown Jacksonville. He was quick and fast and showcased that on the basketball court and baseball fields in organized team activities.
His zest for competitive activities followed him from Kirby Smith Middle to Raines High School. At Raines, he was the section leader in the percussion section specializing on the snare drum. His achievements in the band allowed him the opportunity to be selected to the FAMU Marching 100 where he was a leader in the band until he graduated.
He taught me this competitive nature when he would take me to the basketball courts where he’d beat me time and time again in my youth. I finally beat him entering high school by incorporating some of the moves that he taught me. I’d eventually use them against future opponents myself.
I achieved many accolades in both football and band and owe a significant degree of that success to my dad. He was right there on the sidelines holding the chains as I made tackles for Sandalwoood. His stories from his days in the band served as a reminder of how hard work and sometimes pain can eventually pay off.
Now my Dad has hung up his basketball shoes and turned in his drum sticks for golf clubs. He’s an avid golfer and loves the competive aspect of the game. As an inaugural season ticket holder, you can catch him in the stands at Jaguar games cheering the big cats on. You can bet i’ll be on the sidelines holding the chains for my son in High School football like my dad did. And now as I play with my son and daughters outside and on video games, I’ll never forget those moments my dad played video games and sports with me. It’s those precious moments that mean the most. The time, the sacrifice, the dedication. Thank You DeWitt Hughes III!
Corey Davis
My parents got divorced when I was an infant so like most Americans I didn’t grow up in a traditional family. Yet despite the split both parents remained a vital part of my life.
At the early age of five, a next door neighbor Ed White was coaching little league baseball and asked my mom and myself If I would be interested in playing baseball.
I jumped at the chance to play and thus began my sports career playing tee ball at West Duval Youth Association.
It was during my tee-ball days, I recall one of my earliest moments of family support. It wasn’t uncommon to see both of my parents and step parents at my games.
In fact one game I remember seeing all four parents as well as my fathers previous ex-wife cheering there, what an awkward family reunion that was, LOL.
I ended up playing baseball for about 5 years before I officially retired after taking a curve ball to the back one day.
While my baseball career came to a close my passion for sports grew even stronger. It was around this time I wanted to be the next Howard Cosell, funny how things eventually turned out.
Around the age of ten, my father took me to my first Gator football game, it was there I was hooked for life. For the next five years or so, dad would take me to Gainesville to nearly every home game.
It was those hour plus drives there and back, tailgating in the same cul-de-sac, while eating our ham sandwiches and sweet pickles provided by my step mom, that dad and I really began to bond.
The all day event in Gainesville was the weekly highlight for me and something I always looked forward to each week.
As high school approached I was the guy always reciting stats to my classmates and PE coaches. One particular day, a classmate convinced me to go out for football and I did.
As a single parent, mom made sure to go to all my games home or away sometimes spending her last dollar to support me. She even took a church bus to see my last ever game all the way in Bradenton.
Mom loves to give me a hard time to this day about one particular trip to St. Augustine for a spring jamboree. I was suspended and ineligible to play in the jamboree and I didn’t tell my mom and she drove all the way to the game to see me pass out water, LOL.
While my athletic career came to a close after a few years of playing in a local church softball league, my passion for sports never wandered.
After graduating from Orange Park High in 1993, my writing career began and my parents have always been very supportive of it even to this day.
With both of their influences I have become a better man and even greater father because of both of them.
I carry on their morals and lessons learned to my own 14-year old daughter Hannah.
So happy belated Mothers Day mom and Happy Fathers Day dad.
Makeda Lawton
My grandfather grew up in the country of Hatchechubbee, Alabama. As the son of very poor sharecroppers, he did not have the opportunity to exceed his education past the third grade.
He stood at an intimidating and towering 6-2, but he had a heart of gold. My grandfather worked as a carpenter but his passion for basketball equated his enthusiasm for family.
During basketball season, he would arrive home from work, eat dinner and then prepare to teach myself and my siblings the art of the game. He would recall using old buckets as a basketball goal during his youth and throwing any round object that resembled that of a basketball into the bucket.
Whenever we would watch basketball games he would only applauded the players of integrity and good team ethics as he wanted me to follow the person with a future on and off the court.
My grandfather showed me that basketball was not just a sport, but it was symbolic of trust, unselfishness, teamwork, integrity and hard work.
Today, I hold truth that basketball is more than just a game-it is the best of way life. I am forever grateful to my grandfather for planting the seeds of wisdom into my life with the game of basketball and go by the motto ‘Go Hard or Go Home-Ball is Life.’
