GSC Q & A Series: John-Crawford Counts
The conference office is continuing the GSC Q & A series from earlier in the semester, albeit with a slightly different focus. Over the next few weeks, interviews will be conducted with senior GSC student-athletes who have had their seasons cut short due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Despite having their seasons ending without closure, these men and women deserve to be highlighted. Today’s interview is with John-Crawford Counts, a golfer for Delta State.
John-Crawford Counts, Delta State
- 3x GSC Academic Honor Roll Member
- Won 5 Tournament Team Titles in Delta State Career
- Helped Statesmen to Two Top-4 Finishes at the GSC Championship
- Shot a season's best -4 (68) and finished 7th in the final event of 2020 (MC Invitational)
Thanks for agreeing to this interview. I know this is a crazy time for you and your teammates. Could you talk me through some of the emotions that you guys are feeling right now?
"Our entire team was playing well and had high hopes for the rest of the season. None of us have ever been through anything like this, and we were all very upset about the situation. Unfortunately, when everything came out, we were on spring break, so we were all separated. This made the situation much harder. I think we were all in shock and felt like we were in a bad dream and just needed to wake up from it. We were all upset about the season being canceled, but since we were on spring break and separated, it was that much harder on all of us, especially not knowing if or when all nine of us players would get to see each other again. It was and still is very tough for all of us to comprehend. Taking the positives out of everything in college sports (especially golf) is key, and most teams do not get to end their season with a win. But for the three seniors (Zach Zediker , Zach Smith, and myself), we know that if our last golf event is the last tournament we ever get to play in, then we ended our careers with a win."
Despite this season ending the way it has, what can you learn from it?
"This season has been a huge learning curve for me. It has had its ups, and it has had plenty of downs. I have had to overcome a lot of adversity this season that has made me a better golfer and better person off the course. No one knows what the future holds, so with that being said, enjoy every second of being a college athlete. Play every tournament, game, or match like it is your last. Don’t take any of it for granted because it can be taken away from you in a blink of an eye."
Your team was in the middle of a great season, and you were an important part of that. What were some of your individual goals as well as some of the team’s goals coming into this season? And do you think you were well on your way to accomplishing them?
"My main goal was to work as hard as I could, learn from my mistakes, and become the best golfer I could be. I did not start off our fall season as I would have liked, but I was finally starting to play at the level I knew I could in the spring. I was really looking forward to what the rest of the season had in store. Our team was in the middle of a great season, and we were finally starting to hit on all cylinders. Obviously, coming into the season, the highest goal we wanted to reach was winning a National Championship. Before that comes the conference championship, which was the next goal on our list that we wanted to accomplish. I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we were well on our way to accomplishing that goal. It is an unfortunate situation, but life happens. I think we are all very thankful to have been on a team that was strong enough to possibly have been able to reach the goals we had set."
You transferred to Delta State and have been a mainstay on the team for three years now. What does this school mean to you?
"Delta State means the world to me. Both of my parents graduated from here, and I am so blessed that I was led here and got the opportunity to represent this university. I started out my college career at The University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM). Things did not work out, and I ended up at Delta State. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and most of the time you don’t always know what the reason is at the time. In my four years at Delta State, I was blessed with great teammates and was led by the best two coaches in the country, Coach Easton Key and Coach Taylor Boggs. All of these guys mean so much to me. Not only are my teammates brothers to me, but both coaches have always been there for every one of us whether it was on the course or off the course. I cannot thank all of them enough for that."
What do you love the most about your teammates?
"I have the best teammates in the country, and I would not trade any of them for anything. We have all been through alot, and we know that we always have each other’s back. We play for each other, and we always keep fighting until that last putt is made. The work ethic of our team has been great as well. We push each other to be the best that we can be. Together, we've made tons of memories on and off the course that will last a lifetime."
“Compete. Graduate. Impact” is a mantra that the Gulf South Conference wants all of its athletes to aspire to. What does that mean to you?
When Coach Key first arrived at Delta State, he told us that academics are most important to him and are key part of being on this team. We were expected to not only compete on the course, but in the classroom as well. That inspired me to set a goal for myself. I wanted to be an Academic All-American before I graduated. I wanted to compete in the classroom as hard as I would compete on the course. Last year, I accomplished that goal, and this year I'll graduate. While doing both of these things, I have strived to leave an impact on anyone I come in contact with. This is the case whether it is with people in the classroom, with new freshman/transfers on the team, or even with younger kids that practice at the same course as us. Once I graduate, I plan to keep trying to leave an impact on as many people as I can. With that being said, these three words are very meaningful and can help any student or athlete get to where they want to be after college."