They Call Me "Bulldog" - I am Tenacious

Well, today is the “and more” part of the blog. I love to promote something. Find that special part of someone or something and show it to the world.

Tenacious – I guess that is good word for me. Again I bring out the “unofficial” nickname for myself “bulldog.” I latch on to something and don’t let go.

Outwardly all of you who follow my One Tree Hill podcast have seen how it has grown. Or, I hope it has grown. That is a testament to all of you, by the way. But if I am going to do something – I am going to do it with full force.

And when I tell you I am going to do something, or get something for you, I will move mountains to do it.

Example?

Last year one of my women’s basketball players, who is an amazing student-athlete - successful on and off the court, suffered a devastating knee injury 11 games into the year. It is one of those things where you know it will be a detriment to the team, because she is such an impact player, but also you just feel sick for the player. She was destined for a HUGE year. She tried to come back but had a setback and had to have surgery.

I came to her a few weeks after her surgery and said “you get better and I will get you everything you deserve.” She is very humble, so she slowly dipped her head, smiled and said okay. I told her I didn’t back losers, she was a winner, and everyone will see it.

Now to the present. I sit her with a huge smile on my face because that player has had this amazing season. She is seven blocked shots away from breaking the school record for blocks in a career and leads the team in scoring. Which means she took care of her business on the court and in the classroom – so I could have the chance to fulfill my promise.

She is winding up the season as a candidate for the Lowe’s Senior Class Award (making her one of the top 30 seniors in the nation, an ESPN The Magazine District 3 First Team Academic All-American, an All-Conference selection and was just announced as a finalist for the Jimmy V Comeback of the Year Award.

Yeah, she is special. And it just makes me so happy. To see everything going her way and knowing I had just a small hand in it.

People ask how I got her with my One Tree Hill Podcast. Well, see it is easy for me – it is kind of my job to promote people or things. It was a small endeavor that grew to something that has taken on a life of its own. It is kind of crazy if you sit and think about it – if I had time to think about it.

I feel sometimes like I am living two lives. Working the job in college athletics to pay the bills and doing this podcast to feed my soul.

But how can I complain? I can’t. I won’t. Because I love doing it so much and it has afforded me the chance to meet so many amazing people. And do some great things for others – like collecting fan messages for Hilarie and Kelly at Southern Gothic Productions.

Again people it is the small gestures. Make sure you do one for someone today. You don’t know what it will mean.

Sometimes they say a name can define you. “Podcaster Denise”, “Bulldog”, “promoter”, “insane”. Maybe I am all those things. I’ll answer to any of them because maybe they define me. And I am okay with that.