View From a Hearse
August
27, 2008
James
Liipfert is the son of Jimbo and Debbie Liipfert from Marshallville,
Ga. Jimbo and Debbie were my classmates from FVHS Class of 1966.
James
Khoury
|
by Bruce Goddard |
I have often wondered how many people give up when the reward for
hard work is right around the corner. I have a feeling it happens much too
often. For the past four years or so I’ve had my eye on a young man who has
continued to work extremely hard when most would have given up a long time ago.
I first met James Liipfert when he was in the eighth grade. He
spent the night with a group of boys at our house. Our youngest son had
transferred to Westfield Schools in Perry, GA and James was one of the boys in
his class who quickly befriended him and made him feel welcome.
During the next few years I watched James become a leader in his
class and ultimately his school. I saw his leadership on the baseball field,
the track field, the basketball court, the football field and in the classroom.
I couldn’t help but smile when he ran over people on the football field when he
had the ball or when the other team had the ball. He was strong and tough a€¦
and relentless.
And he is still strong and tough and relentless.
But off the field he is always the perfect gentleman. I have
always been taught that you can judge a man’s character by the way he treats
others. I pegged James early on as a young man who had been raised incredibly
right by his parents.
When James graduated from high school, he had several
opportunities to play college football. When you are selected as Player of the
Year in your region two years running, rush for over 1000 yards, and make over
100 tackles as a junior and senior, college recruiters will be knocking on your
door. The challenge is when you graduate from a small private school, the
opportunities will most likely come from smaller colleges.
I was not surprised when James decided to forego a college
football career at a small college to attend Georgia Tech to pursue a
Management degree. I was also not surprised when James walked on the Georgia
Tech Football team without a scholarship. And I was also not surprised when he
made the team. James was redshirted his first year and has spent the last three
years as a Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket somehow balancing a very tough academic
schedule with a very tough athletic schedule.
With limited playing time but a whole lot of long days and body
weary practices for the past three years James continued his relentless spirit.
He simply refused to give up or give in. This year, which is his senior year,
James was rewarded for his relentless spirit and hard work when he was given a
full athletic scholarship at Georgia Tech.
Napoleon Hill was right when he said, “Effort only fully releases
its reward after a person refuses to quit.”
James, a young man of great faith, is quick to tell anyone who
will listen that he considers himself blessed by God because he was raised by
incredible parents, surrounded by incredible family and friends and raised in a
church where he was taught the principles of God’s Word at an early age.
I have to tell you - this Georgia Bulldog will be will be looking
for #30 every time Georgia Tech takes the field this year and I will be
cheering James Liipfert on every play. More importantly, I will be cheering him
on in life after he graduates next year.
Trust me – this strong, tough and relentless gentleman will
accomplish great things before he is done.