Will Irvine, a football player and track star at Jones High School, said he was pretty far along in his educational journey before he fell in love with sports. 

“I truly fell in love with sports my freshman year,” Irvine said. “The atmosphere then was different than the rest. How much time and effort you put in determined the outcome of how good you are as an athlete. I still love playing these sports because of the friends I’ve made and the experiences it’s brought me.”

Irvine said he believes he’s successful as an athlete for a couple of reasons: the first is putting in the time, and second is because he tries to keep his moral compass on and off the field. 

“I am always trying to eat right and stay in shape,” he said. “I always put the time in on and off the field, whether that’s going to the gym before and after school, or waking up at 5 a.m. or staying up until midnight to finish homework. Changing everything in my life to meet those standards is hard, yet I choose to do so to better myself.

“The character of a good athlete is how you push yourself and carry your teammates,” Irvine continued. “Telling your teammates to finish the workout or not give up on the field. Athletes who push themselves as well as their teammates are the ones who display the most character. Those who want to find a good athlete will see the character on the field playing his hardest.” 

In his free time, Irvine said he tries to be with his friends, whether it’s playing volleyball or other games. He said he wants to give a shout out to his mom and brother for always being there for him.