JJ Day

So what if I did wait in line? There were people there over an hour before me.

And what if I was tempted to throw ‘bows into the elderly people behind me, who continued to push and shove as the doors opened? They were in my personal space.

None of that matters, because I was able to participate in the festivities that marked JJ Redick Day in Roanoke, Virginia.

The squealing teenage girls and the kids that were crying just because they wanted an autograph, they were all just the back drop for an evening of recognition for a job well done at Duke by one of the city’s own.

There were speeches, by past teachers and coaches, and local politicians read the “whereas’s” that made the day official. And through it all, JJ sat there, attempting to eat his dinner, but unable to do so with the constant wave of fans and autograph seekers that wished to have “just a second” of his time. But those seconds turned into minutes, and a majority of the dinner went uneaten as he managed to please as many people as humanly possible.

And through it all he was able to smile, because after all, it was “JJ Redick Day”. A quick stop in his hometown before finishing up exams at Duke, graduating and going in the first round of the NBA draft to a team that still remains nameless.

- Jessica Mays