On to the next year

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The Hot Corner

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This past weekend, my family and I celebrated my 24th birthday. I took a minute to reflect on the year I have endured since my 23rd birthday and man, has it been a crazy one.
On my 23rd birthday, I graduated from Texas State University and had no clue what was next.
Since then, I moved to Snyder; got engaged; bought a house; survived football, volleyball and basketball seasons; and endured a global pandemic. My 23rd year will be one I will look back on the rest of my life and tell my kids and my grandkids.
Twenty-four feels the same so far.
In a few weeks, I’ll be a married man and hopefully, life will soon be back to normal so I can cover my second year of Texas high school football. I am proud of what I have accomplished up to this point in my life, but as I thought about this column, I wondered what other notable 24-year olds have accomplished in the past year.
Patrick Mahomes III
Believe it or not, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback and Tyler native Patrick Mahomes III is just 24 years old.
The former Red Raider won his first Super Bowl this year and I don’t think that will be his last. Mahomes turned 24 on Sept. 17, meaning he was 24 when the Chiefs defeated the 49ers in the Super Bowl. Let’s hope 24 is even half as nice to me.
Cody Bellinger
Going to my roots in the baseball world, Los Angeles Dodgers superstar right fielder, Cody Bellinger, is 24. While he’ll reach the quarter century mark in mid-July, as a 24-year-old he hit .305 with 47 home runs and 115 runs batted in, earning himself the National League MVP.
While I am no fan of the Dodgers, I appreciate his success and I have to thank him, because his inability to lay off the low and inside curveball helped the Astros in the 2017 World Series.
Maybe he and the Dodgers can get off the snide in 2020 and win the big one (don’t bet on it).
Ezekiel Elliot
Heading back to football, it is hard to believe Ezekiel Elliott is just 24 years old.
Already heading into his fifth year, Elliott is a three-time pro bowler and led the league in rushing twice already. While he is a bit weird and has had some off-field partying issues, he is committed to Dallas and I respect him for that.
Now if he could just help his team hit their peak for the playoffs and bring home a Lombardi Trophy, I’d love him even more.
While I’ll never reach the heights these athletes have, I still hope to make the most of the next 361 days.
Hopefully I can continue to entertain you readers and bring the best possible local sports coverage possible.

Reed Graff is the sports editor for The Snyder News. Comments on this article can be made to sports@thesnydernews.com