Reflections on being a Demon Deacon

J O H N CU R R I E, DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS

Demon Deacon Nation,

As I write this letter for the final Gold Rush of the 2019- 20 year, it is an incredibly challenging time for our Wake Forest community and the entire nation. We are not only battling a global pandemic, but we are trying to make sense of the violence and social injustice plaguing our country. In this time of great division and pain, please know that Wake Forest Athletics is committed to fighting inequality and injustice, and we will continue to listen, learn, make our voices heard and hold ourselves and others accountable. I also encourage you to read Dr. Hatch’s poignant May 30th message to the Wake Forest community at https:// president.wfu.edu/speechesremarks/letters/.

Despite these tremendous challenges our community is facing, we can and should be proud of our successes. I could write about our Big Four Championship in football, men’s soccer’s trip to the College Cup or women’s golf finishing the season ranked No. 1 in the country. However, I’d like to share with you a touching letter that was written this spring by former baseball player Jake Mueller (‘19, MSM ‘20). Jake was an integral player in the 2017 Wake Forest run to the Gainesville Super Regional and finished his four-year career with a .303 batting average, 26 doubles, four home runs, 70 RBIs and 28 stolen bases. He became just the 27th member in the program's 200-hit club and maintained an outstanding .975 fielding percentage. After wrapping up his playing career with the Deacs in 2019 and earning a degree in Psychology, Jake returned to Wake Forest where he recently completed his Master’s in Management. His words are an eloquent demonstration of the impact Wake Forest has had not only on student-athletes but on the entire student body and are an inspirational reminder of why we are all so proud to be Demon Deacons.

"Dear Wake:

Since the day that I, as a 16-year-old kid from Columbia, South Carolina, committed to play baseball for you, I have bled the Old Gold and Black. Nearly eight years in the making, I remember being at home yearning for the day I would be wearing your colors. I think I remember those thoughts so vividly because it felt like I was waiting forever.

But time sure moves at different speeds…doesn’t it?

As my final days as a Wake Forest student are coming to an end, I couldn’t help but feel the need to reflect on the times we have had together and how grateful I am for them. This is my fifth year as a student here, finishing my graduate degree in a few short days. I guess for that reason, coming back for one more year after I completed my undergraduate degree, and was out of athletic eligibility, that I never had my goodbye.

And maybe it happened that way because I wasn’t ready.

I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the early morning buffet line at The Pit, the late night Subway or Zick’s runs, the walks through the Quad. I wasn’t ready to close the book on representing the Old Gold and Black on my Wake baseball uniform. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to so many people and experiences that have special places in my heart.

And the only reason I am lucky enough to have a hard goodbye to all of these people, and these experiences, is because of you.

That is exactly why I am writing to you. Because it is the last time as a student that I have this opportunity. It is my opportunity to thank you.

But before I thank you, I need to thank the people and the experiences that have led me to you, and those that you have led me to. So, without further ado, here goes.

To my family and my loved ones:

Without you all, there is absolutely no chance I would have had the opportunity to be a Demon Deacon. Mom, Dad, my sister Shelby, my brother Kevin, my grandmothers, my brotherin-law Jason, and my girlfriend Jessica; you all gave me endless support on the field, no matter the outcome. I am forever indebted to all of you.

And for that, my family, I thank you.

To my teammates:

I could probably write about why I am grateful for you forever. My brothers. My family away from my family. The people who, at the end of the day, stood behind my back when times were not easy, and were celebrating with me when times were good.

The times I spent with you all are something I will cherish for the rest of my life. On the field: The NCAA Regional host, the dogpile when we won it, the Super Regional run, falling just shy to the eventual champs.

But most importantly, I will cherish the times we spent off the field together. From grinding out papers in our respective classes side by side on Wednesday nights before we traveled, to getting weekend-ready together on Thursday nights before a home series. I will never forget them.

You make me feel like an old man spinning his yarns at 23 years old. I do not believe that there is too much in this world that could make someone at this age feel that way.

And for that, Wake Baseball, I thank you.

To Coach Walter:

You took a chance on a 16-year old kid that you believed in after seeing me play in person once. You believed in me. You stood by me through my highs and lows as a Deac, and you always pushed me to be a better player. But most importantly, you inspired me to be a better man.

And for that, Coach Walt, I thank you.

To John White (Executive Director, Enrollment Management Recruiting):

John, without you I would never have gotten my “victory lap” here at Wake as a graduate student. I am extremely fortunate that you were a baseball fan, and that you believed that I would excel off the field in the business school.

I am so grateful for you and the Master’s in Management staff to admit me into this program. I have developed myself in new ways that I had never experienced before because ofyou.

And for that, John, I thank you.

To my fellow MSM students:

Many of you I only met 10 months ago, but for some of you, it feels like I have known you all for so long. You helped a kid who was dealing with the heartbreak of hanging up his cleats find that there is joy in so many other things than just baseball.

It has truly been a pleasure to frustrate every other program in the business school with our tireless energy in Farrell Hall.

And for that, MSM, I thank you.

Finally, To Mother So Dear:

In a way, I think this letter already has expressed my thanks to you. Everyone other than my family that I mention in this letter would never have been in my life without you. And because of you, my family’s lives have been touched as well.

But that’s the beauty of you. You deserve to be addressed personally so I can tell you how grateful I am for you, in a letter that is filled with me telling others about how grateful I am because of you. That is why you are so special to me, and that is why I wish I never had to saygoodbye.

For the rest of my life, my spirit will have a part of the spirit of the Old Gold and Black, and I can only hope that your spirit has a little part of mine. I will miss you so much, and there is no way I could put that feeling in writing.

And for that, Mother So Dear, I thank you.

Yours Truly, Jake Mueller (‘19, MSM ‘20)"