- Outdoor columnist Ben Smith tells of his time with Willie Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame at a recent William Carey scholarship banquet.
It’s often said that you never want to meet your hero. Sometimes it’s better to just watch them from afar and formulate your own opinion about what kind of person they are than to meet them and find out the truth. I wouldn’t say that I’ve actually had anyone that I considered “my hero” in my life, but I’ve had several people that I’ve admired from a distance. Some of them were athletes. Some of them were world leaders. Some have been people that I watched do great things via television.
For instance, my favorite baseball player growing up was Cal Ripken Jr. He was the “Iron Man”. In my eyes, he was larger than life watching him run around the warning track at Camden Yards in Baltimore after breaking Lou Gehrig’s record for most consecutive games played. Unfortunately, I’ve never had the opportunity to meet my childhood “hero” in Ripken. But I’d like to think he’d be just as I imagined him.
As I’ve gotten older my priorities have changed, and I’ve developed an admiration for more than just ballplayers. I’m not ashamed to tell you that I cast a ballot for Dr. Ben Carson to be the President of the United States in the 2016 primary. When I turned in that ballot, I never thought I’d have the chance to actually meet Dr. Carson. In 2021, Dr. Carson was the keynote speaker at our scholarship dinner at William Carey and I was excited to meet the man that I’d hoped would be the leader of the free world. To my delight, he was everything that I’d hoped he would be. A gentle, kind soul that was quite possibly the most intelligent man that I’d ever meet.
Fast forward a few years, and I’ve gotten to spend a little time with another man that I’ve admired from a distance. I bet I’ve watched every single episode of Duck Dynasty, some episodes several times. The main character of the show, Willie Robertson, always struck me as someone that would be like any other country guy you grew up with. Seemingly laid back, down to earth, unafraid of being the butt of the joke. When the folks at William Carey announced him as this year’s keynote speaker for our annual scholarship dinner, I was elated.
My first thoughts were, “This is a guy that I’d love to meet” and my second thought was, “I bet I can relate to him more than anyone on our campus.” Almost immediately, I reached out to the event organizers and our President, Dr. Burnett, on how I could in some small way be involved. I had no idea of just how involved they would make me, but I was grateful to be a small part of it if possible.
I’m not exactly sure how it happened, but somehow, I was asked to introduce Willie before his speech. The best part of this was that it meant that I would get to spend a little time with him ahead of the dinner and get to know him. Remember that bit about you never want to meet your hero? Yeah, that doesn’t apply in this case at all. Willie was exactly how I imagined him. A humble guy that loves his family, loves the outdoors, and is 100% unashamed to share about his love for Christ. With each topic that we covered in our small talks, I felt like I’d known him my whole life. Obviously, watching him on the show didn’t hurt because it gave me some insight into his life, but you really never know if what you see on television is real, or not. I can promise you one thing about Willie Robertson, what you see on tv is exactly who he is.
Before the dinner, we did a quick Q and A segment backstage with a small audience. One of the questions submitted, thanks to my much smarter than me wife, was about the success his kids have had in their own careers outside of the family business. I watched how his eyes lit up while talking about his kids. Just like any daddy, it was obviously apparent that he’s proud of the impacts they are making on the world. Even after backstage talks, this was the moment I really realized that this guy is the real deal.
Shortly afterward it was time for the main event. The William Carey student choir and band kicked the night off with several songs, including a rendition of “Jesus Saves” that will shake you to your core. If you ever get the opportunity to listen to them, they are well worth whatever the price of admission is. Next, it was my turn to hop up to the mic in front of an audience of Carey supporters that I’m eternally grateful for.
While listening to the words of “Jesus Saves” and just before going up on stage I completely forgot what I was doing for a moment. My mind turned to another hero of mine. I stood next to my wife with tears in my eyes and thought about my late father-in-law and how much he would have loved his. You see, in all of these thoughts about meeting your heroes, or not meeting them, I realized that I got to see one of mine almost every day. As I walked up to the podium and to the microphone, I said, in my best Jerry Perry impression, the only word that he would have used to describe such a moment…Wow.
I’ll finish the column this week with something that my father-in-law talked about often and something that Willie drove home in his speech. Don’t be shy to tell your story and share what Jesus has done in your life. Don’t be afraid to share the Gospel with the people you know, or a stranger. You’ll never know how God will water the seeds that you plant. And last, don’t be afraid to meet your hero.
