THREE RIVERS AREA — Harding University football player James Kee admits his role as an offensive lineman for the Bisons might be an under-the-radar position, but he’s earned some big name recognition.
Kee, 21, was named to the ESPN the Magazine College Division Academic All-District 6 Football Team in November.The district is composed of NCAA II, NCAA III, NAIA and NJCAA institutions in Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico.
The sophomore biochemistry and molecular biology major has earned senior-level credit hours and has a 3.86 grade-point average. He is Harding football’s 28th Academic All-District honoree since 1996. In 2008, he was named to the Gulf South Conference Academic Honor Roll.
The Searcy native knows being a football player carries certain responsibilities.
“I’ll be a junior next year, and I hope to mature into that role as a leader,” Kee said.“I’m more of a quiet leader, but I want to lead by example. I want other guys to see my hard work.” The schedule he keeps during the season - ninehours on the field and 1 1/2 hours in the weight room - conditions him to work hard for his team, go to practice every day and improve himself.
“Those things definitely transfer over into the classroom,” he said.
After college, Kee plans to become a doctor and is looking at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock or the University of Memphis.
With his medical degree, he’d also like to take part in short-term medical mission trips overseas. He remembers his two-week spring-break class trip to Kenya when he was a senior at Harding Academy in Searcy.
“I got to see people being very happy and joyful, but living in very bad conditions compared to us,” he said.
“The people I met truly trusted their lives to God, not on themselves, like we as Americans are taught to do.” Kee’s parents, Donald and Carolyn Kee, taught him to do his best and give his best to God.
Kee would like to repeat his freshman-year GPA of 4.0, but “if I get a B here and there, I wouldn’t worry about it.
If I work my hardest, I’ll still feel good about it,” he said.“I want to grow closer to God. My football goals are to win the conference championship and compete for a national championship and continue to get better in everything.”Hidden talents: Wiggling both ears, at separate times One thing you learned in kindergarten
that you have carried on throughout your
life: Always think before you say something or do something. Think about consequences.
Three Rivers, Pages 144 on 01/31/2010