As we take the month of February to celebrate the history and accomplishments of African Americans, we wanted to take the time to honor some of our staff, coaches, and athletes who are important and influential members of our lives here at Georgia Southern. From the administration down to the athletes, each person who makes up the athletics community has different experiences and perspectives that we hope will honor the meaning of Black History Month on a deeper level.
For this first week of February, we are highlighting two vital administrative staff members. Tracy Ham is our Senior Associate Athletics Director for Administration. In addition to providing oversight for our track & field and women's basketball programs, Ham is involved in fundraising and donor outreach. He has been an integral part of Georgia Southern for many years, including as the starting quarterback for the 1985 and 1986 Division 1-AA national championship teams. Ham was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (2007), the Canadian Football Hall of Fame (2010), and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame (2012) before starting his career and eventually returning to Georgia Southern.
Regarding what these accomplishments and his current administrative position mean to Tracy, he wanted to focus on his influence and the opportunities he has to help young people understand how to get to where they want to go.
"When you're in a leadership position, I think regardless of your race—but as an African American—getting to a leadership position and helping young men and women understand how to get there and what trials and tribulations came along with getting here is a part of the process," Ham explained. "For me, what it means is I've worked myself through a process, a system, that has growth, and then I've been able to grow in my position here at Georgia Southern University."
For Tracy, Black History Month means an opportunity to reflect and appreciate those who came before him.
"It's just a month where we highlight some of the achievements and so often how something came about and who invented what," he said. "When you look at Black History and highlight
African Americans, it gives me a chance to just look back on some of the accomplishments that African Americans have accomplished."
Looking back on his own accomplishments, Ham had some advice for those who might be in his previous position as a quarterback, advice that goes beyond just sport.
"What I would give young African American quarterbacks from my journey was always about being the best at what I was doing. Just trying to be the best quarterback, be the best student of the game, and then be the best player," Ham remembered. "And then I would challenge them just to make sure that you understand the process that you're in and how you educate yourself within what you're doing. And it pertains to far more than just football. When you're talking about a job, you compete for jobs and want your resume to be full of experiences and different experiences so you don't pigeonhole yourself."
Ham emphasizes the importance of understanding people to navigate the world around them, no matter who they are.
"What I always encourage, not only African Americans but young students, is to make sure you diversify yourself. Make sure you can do more than one thing. Make sure you have more than one experience because those experiences will help you ultimately with all jobs. All opportunities come down to just people. It helps you understand how to deal with people, and that crosses all barriers, colors, and races: dealing with people in itself. And so, I always encourage them to diversify themselves so they can deal with the diverse society that we live in."
In conclusion, Ham reflected on those who had inspired him to get to where he is today and identified Doug Williams and his brother Donald as two men he would attribute as having the most influence over his career.
"I've had a couple of people that really inspired me," Ham stated. "One of them was my brother Donald, who spent 20 years in the infantry in the military. From day one, he's just been my biggest hero. And then, from a football perspective, I'd say Doug Williams. When I watched Doug Williams, as an African-American quarterback, win the Super Bowl, I thought that was a defining moment because of all the historical things that people were saying about African-American quarterbacks and what they could and couldn't be, and what leadership roles they
could and couldn't handle. And Doug, on the biggest stage in football, being able to play the way he did for the Washington (Redskins), I've always remembered that. And getting the opportunity to meet Doug was definitely one of the highlights. I was like a kid in a candy store, I wasn't even a Redskins fan, but I've always been a Doug Williams fan. To me, those two men would have influenced and helped me."
Gleen Hart is our Senior Associate Athletics Director (SAAD) in charge of Student-Athlete Development and our Athletes Preparing for Employment Experiences (APEX) program. He came to Georgia Southern in 2013 and was one of the first SAADs in the country to focus on the importance of athlete development for experiences beyond sport. Like Tracy, Gleen also played football. He had a four-year letterman career at Wake Forest before furthering his education in sport administration.
Looking at Hart's opportunities and accomplishments so far in his career, what means the most to him is to influence student-athletes' future success directly.
"It's very important to me because in my space, or just in leadership positions period, you don't see a lot of African Americans. So, to represent it from that aspect, it is tremendous to be in this position and have the influence that I do to help affect the lives of young people," Hart stated. "It's very important to me. I think the ability to know that I've been on both sides of the fence, so
to speak; I was a student-athlete, and then now in administration. I feel I can relate to what student-athletes are going through and what they are experiencing from the standpoint of playing athletics and then now all of a sudden realizing that you can't do that forever, you've got to stop playing at some point, and transition to the real world. I'm passionate on both sides because I know where they're coming from, can relate, and am a product of what I am trying to teach them. I am trying to find opportunities for them through APEX programs and life in general. Knowing what it means to be African American and what it meant to my father, grandfather, and so forth, I've seen their path, and it has helped me to want to change that direction and continue progressing and doing well."
Hart was inspired to emphasize his influence and put his best effort into everything he did because of his parents' hard work and teaching.
"For me, I would have to say my dad and my mother," he said. "Just looking at the hard work they instilled in me, and realizing history is the best teacher. Hearing the stories and the things they experienced growing up, and the lessons they taught me, has allowed me to navigate where I am now, yet still remember where they were and what they experienced. I think my dad is a tremendous asset in paving the way from a male and professional standpoint, just always having to do more and the pride he just instilled in me to always want to exceed expectations."
After reflecting on his experiences getting to the leadership position he is in now, we asked Gleen to offer advice to those who may want to follow in his footsteps.
"Always be willing to accept change," Hart emphasized. "Always be willing to grow and have a growth mindset. Always be willing to do more. You have to set goals in life, and to get where you want to go, you need to pick a mentor. Find that person, research that person, look them up, reach out, and connect with them. See what skills and qualifications they have, and then use that as a map for yourself to pattern your career so you can get to that same seat because they paved the way."
He then focused on how this relates to the African American community and the focus of Black History Month.
"And that's kind of like it is when you look at it in terms of African Americans," he explained. "Looking for those that paved the way and what they had to go through and realize that the sacrifices they made allow you to sit where you're sitting today. So, continuing in that vein to enhance what they did is a tremendous opportunity."
For these two men in positions of influence and leadership, Black History Month is about honoring those who came before them and continuing that legacy of influence with the opportunities they have taken advantage of and earned throughout their careers.
