We Are All Role Models in Our Community
Every now and then, something happens that reminds you what a community is supposed to look like.
This week, Gavin Hill will receive a video message from Tim Tebow, a National Champion and Heisman Trophy winner. Tebow connected with Gavin during his second battle with neuroblastoma.
Not because Tebow has lived through cancer himself. Because he understands something bigger. Brotherhood. Leadership. Showing up when it matters.
The Power of Showing Up
Tebow has taken Gavin under his wing. He even invited him to be a guest on SEC Nation.
And if you really think about it, the relationship between Tebow and Gavin isn’t all that different from what we see right here in Davidson County every weekend.
We just don’t always stop to notice it.
Davidson County Youth Football Championship Weekend
This past weekend, the Davidson County Youth Football Championship games took place at West Davidson High School.
If you’re from around here, you already know the deal.
Midway. Wallburg. North Davidson.
Pick the wrong color shirt and you might as well pack your bags. Around here, blue and orange mean something.
But this weekend felt different.
More Than Just a Game
The games were competitive. Close. Emotional.
But what stood out wasn’t the scoreboard.
- A live DJ setting the tone (shoutout DJ Ladd)
- Smoke-filled team entrances like it was Friday night lights
- And most importantly, high school players showing up to support the next generation
That last one matters more than people realize.
Why It Hit Different
Let’s be honest.
Most high school players have better things to do on a Saturday morning than stand in the cold watching youth football.
Speaking from experience, the last place I would’ve been back in the day was standing on a field in Tyro at 9 AM.
Yet there they were.
Showing up. Smiling. Supporting kids who look at them the same way they once looked up to someone else.
Real Role Models in Action
This wasn’t just one moment. It was everywhere.
Gavin Hill, in the middle of his own fight, giving halftime pep talks.
Teddy Jenkins driving down from Appalachian State University just to be there for my son after a tough loss.
Tanner Jordan and Reid Nisley, fresh off a Friday night win, choosing to spend their Saturday morning freezing instead of resting.
No spotlight. No reward.
Just showing up.
The Ripple Effect of Leadership
This is how it works.
Gavin looks up to Tebow. Kids look up to Gavin. And now those same kids are becoming role models for the next group behind them.
You can see it on Friday nights.
You can see it in the stands.
You can see it in kids like Merritt Plummer and Roe Roe Tucker, who have found their own version of a hero.
That’s how culture is built.
Community Still Matters
This isn’t about business.
This isn’t about convincing anyone to move here.
This is about recognizing something real.
People showing up for each other.
No matter what they’re going through.
The Davidson County community still believes in that.
The People We Remember
Everyone has those names.
The ones you grew up watching.
The ones who made you want to be better.
For me, it was Travis Williams and Smiley Wagner.
I ran into Travis a few years ago and still felt like a kid again. Spent the rest of the night telling my wife how good those guys were back in the early ’90s.
That kind of impact doesn’t fade.
Final Thoughts
To the parents. To the coaches. To the players showing up when they don’t have to.
Thank you.
You’re doing more than raising athletes.
You’re building leaders.
And if we’re lucky, our kids will be the ones standing on those same fields one day, doing the exact same thing for someone else.
That’s how this works.
That’s how it lasts.
