Defining desire

The actions taken by an eighth-grade boy, who just wanted to play football, can only be called desire.

Bobby Humphrey was a great “back-yard” football player, but his mother wouldn’t let him play on a team. So when Humphrey was in eighth-grade, he joined a team without telling her, and he got away with it for about three weeks until his first ball game.

“Here it is, my first ball game ever in my life,” Humphrey said. “I scored three touchdowns, led the team in tackles, had an interception and I got the MVP on offense, defense and special teams.”

But it was a bittersweet victory for him because he knew his mother would be angry when he got home — it was after dark and he had been playing football. Standing in the doorway to his house, Humphrey presented his mother with his three trophies, and, to his surprise, his mother wasn’t angry.

“She said there was something about the look I had in my eyes, that I really had a desire to do something,” He said. “She let me play from that day forward, and she said it’s the best thing she could’ve done.”

Humphrey went on to play football at the University of Alabama and to be a first-round draft pick by the Denver Broncos, but what got him there was his desire. When you have desire, Humphrey said, it’s a motivation to achieve something. If you never lose sight of your goal, regardless of how long it takes to reach it, you are going to get there.

“My dream was to play football and it led me to many different things,” Humphrey said. “Things are still happening just from a little kid who wanted to play ball.”

He explained that it comes down to four different types of people: wanderers, followers, achievers and leaders. Wanderers never get it and they never see it, followers see it and don’t pursue it and achievers see it and actually go after it. Most importantly are the leaders, Humphrey said, they see it, achieve it and help others achieve it.

He didn’t set out to become a legend, he was just a little kid who wanted to play football, but he represented Alabama as one of the SEC legends at the SEC Championship game Dec. 6.

“I really, really wanted it,” Humphrey said. “I had that strong desire to be something, to play ball, and I ended up somewhere that I think I am very blessed to be. I started playing football, I was a coach, a salesman and now I’m a banker.”

South Shelby Chamber's 2014 Diamond Awards

Business of the Year

Snider’s Pharmacy/ Ground Up Coffee and Smoothies

Snider’s Pharmacy was chosen because they are always helping out with school fundraisers. They even deliver coffee to Chelsea Park Elementary every Friday morning. They are always willing to participate in school activities and seek new ways to help out.

New Business of the Year

99.9 APH Radio

99.9 APH Radio works to be revenue-generating engines that funds nonprofits all over Shelby County.

Citizen of the Year

Sheriff Chris Curry, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office

Sheriff Chris Curry has helped so many people in Shelby County, and he has been with the Sheriff’s office since 1980. Although he was not present to accept his award, his wife was there to accept it in his place.

Ambassador of the Year

Vicki Everett

The ambassadors were asked to nominate within themselves, and Everett was chosen.