Whiteville grows great linemen and ball players. True?

Yes, and there’s a common theme of discipline and work ethic in both. My wife, Ericca, and I have four children. Nash and Adi, both eight, just won their district all-star championships, and Noxx, six, is playing in his at the end of June. We’ll have Ellis Jett, who is one, playing soon. I’ve been coaching Dixie Youth Baseball since I was 18, almost 20 years, and I’ve coached hundreds of kids, some of whom have their own kids now. My grass might be a little taller than it needs to be, and I like to take good care of my yard, but it’s more important for me to spend time coaching kids and helping them improve their game. Teaching them that you need to learn from your mistakes and do better will help them later in life. They know I love them, even if I’m stern with them. I teach them things like ‘hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard’, and that you don’t have to be the smartest, but you have to have initiative. And I’ve never had a losing season.

What do you like to do to relax?

I like to do drag racing on the weekends, and hunt, and we do all that as a family. We don’t allow video games, or watch much TV, so we’re always up to something and having fun. The kids love their dirt bikes and fishing in the pond. When I have an extra moment, I like to go to the race shop and hang out with the buddies that I race with, including Wesley Blackman, known as Bug, and his son Rayce. Bug’s been racing all his life, so I like to get tips, and learn how to better myself.

We’re taking a family vacation to Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia in a few weeks and we’re very excited. My grandparents have a condo and a boat there, and the lake is huge, with beautiful rolling mountains around it. We’ll fish, use the wakeboard, and play in the pool. In the evening we’ll take an hour boat ride across the lake to eat, then boat back. It’s going to be a really good time.