In the last two years, I have developed a great friendship with my coach, Waylon White. We don't just have a coach and player relationship, we are true friends. I know I could trust Coach White with anything, whether it was school related or of a personal nature. He is a very giving person and just fun to be around.

Coach White is not only a nice guy, he is also a terrific coach. In the last four years, he has gone from a junior high school coach to a very respected varsity coach. I think he has advanced so quickly because he has an extremely strong work ethic. He works hard to help my teammates and myself realize our potential not only as athletes but as young men. Everyday Coach White comes to practice smiling and full of enthusiasm. After practice, you can usually find him in the film room studying our next opponent’s moves and plays to help us get ready for the next game. His day definitely doesn’t end when the last practice whistle blows.

Coach White is also making a difference off of the field. Sadly, I've never been in any of his classes except for athletics. However, I know he plays an important role in our community. He has been involved with Meals on Wheels for sometime and last year, he took four of my teammates and myself to help make deliveries. We delivered Thanksgiving dinners to some of the elderly here in Cleburne and got to learn more about our community. It was good to meet and visit people that you may not meet otherwise. While making deliveries we also helped a lady with some yard work that she was unable to do herself. As far as I am concerned, there is no better feeling than the one you get from helping someone, not for money or recognition, but just to help them. I'm proud to have helped others in our community and will continue to do so, but I may not have if it hadn’t been for Coach White’s encouragement.

I'm so proud to have Coach White in my community. There isn't anyone like him, and I'm happy to say he's part of my life. He has changed me as a person, a player, a teammate, and is helping me to become a leader. He's shown me that with hard work, you can achieve anything. He's led me down a good path, and I hope he stays in Cleburne so that I can follow his lead.

In the remaining two years of my high school career, I'm planning on truly following Coach White's lead on and off the field. Last year, during a pre-game speech he told the team, "Live as a team, play as a team, fight as a team" and that's a quote I plan to live by. I will live, play, and fight alongside Coach White for the next two years, on and off the field. It would be great if Coach White won the Educator of the Year Award because I feel he has earned it but even if he doesn’t, he will always hold that title in my eyes.