Roy Exum: Apollos Hester’s Way

  • Tuesday, September 23, 2014
  • Roy Exum

East View High was trailing at halftime by a pair of touchdowns in last Friday night’s game against unbeaten Vandegrift. But the players at the Georgetown, Texas, school each have a sticker on the back of their helmets that says “TPW” which is a constant reminder that “Tough People Win.” Then there is “attitude” and that is where running back Apollos Hester steps in.

In what may be the most stirring post-game interview ever, Apollos is hardly bashful as he tells TWC News Austin reporter Lauren Mickler how he was one of four Patriots who scored second-half touchdowns in a thrilling 42-41 comeback.

* * *

“All right … well, at first we started slow, we started real slow, and you know, that’s all right, that’s OK, because sometimes in life, you’re gonna start slow.

That’s OK. We told ourselves, ‘Hey, we’re gonna start slow, we’re gonna keep going fast. We’re gonna start slow, but we’re always, always gonna finish fast. No matter what the score was, we’re gonna finish hard, we’re gonna finish fast!’

“Yeah, they had us the first half, I’m not gonna lie, they had us. We weren’t defeated, but they had us. But it took guts, it took an attitude—that’s all it takes. That’s all it takes to be successful is an attitude. And that’s what our coach told us.

“He said, ‘Hey, it’s gonna be tough. It’s gonna be tough. It’s gonna be hard. You’re gonna go out there, you’re gonna battle, you’re gonna fight, you’re gonna do it for one another. Do it for each other, you’re gonna do it for yourself, you’re gonna do it for us, and you’re gonna go out with this win.’ And we believed that, we truly did. And it’s an awesome feeling.”

* * *

By noon on Monday Apollos’ epic interview had gone viral over the Internet and, while it isn’t yet known if he will continue to play football in college, he will undoubtedly have offers to teach people how to run through brick walls or learn to fly. What a dazzling testimony to football after the NFL has turned ugly!

ALABAMA QUARTERBACK Blake Sims passed for 455 yards in the Crimson Tide’s 42-21 win, but did you see the Auburn blue wristband on his right hand? He was wearing it in honor of Auburn coed Kayla Perry, a 19-year-old cancer patient from Birmingham who has thus far raised almost $50,000 for pediatric cancer research. The bracelet says “Kayla” and “Joshua 1:7” (Be strong and very courageous.) and you can get one just like it by emailing openhandsoverflowinghearts@gmail.com

AT LEAST HIS HEART is in the right place – Kolten Wong, who plays second base for the St. Louis Cardinals, has not commented on a baseball that allegedly bears his signature with “Psalms 3:16” written beneath it. That’s because the third chapter of Psalms has only eight verses. Some athletes regularly include “John 3:16” with their autographs.

MISSISSIPPI STATE’S thrilling victory over LSU Saturday night was so exciting that one church in Starkville included a rousing rendition of the “Hail State!” fight song during the morning service.

IF YOU SENSE a change today it is because the autumnal equinox occurred at 10:29 p.m. Monday night. I’m told that equinoxes happen twice a year when the sun’s rays shine directly over the equator from the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern Hemisphere. So today would be the first full day of Fall while the Spring equinox occurs on March 20 or 21.

royexum@aol.com


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