Rutherford Residents Share Their Success Secrets
Published Jun 12, 2009
Rutherford County is a great place to live, raise a family, grow a business and make a difference. But don’t take our word for it. Noted Rutherford County residents Kelly Holcomb, a retired NFL quarterback, and Jack O. Weatherford, senior chairman of the board of directors for MidSouth Bank, share their insights on success, leadership and what makes Rutherford County right for them.
Lessons From A Gridiron Great
Kelly Holcomb first came to Rutherford County by way of Middle Tennessee State University, where he played football with the Blue Raiders before going on to a 12-season career in the NFL.
Holcomb, wife Lorie – a Murfreesboro native – and their children now live in Murfreesboro full time. He is on the broadcast team for MTSU football and is a sought-after speaker. Holcomb also has raised thousands of dollars for the United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties through the annual Kelly Holcomb Celebrity Golf Tournament, featuring some of his friends from the NFL.
He also has brought NFL coaches in to work with area youth at his summer football camp.
Holcomb’s parents provided him with the recipe for success that he still lives by.
“When I was growing up, my mom and dad gave me a poem called ‘Don’t Quit,’ which I’ve quoted often. It’s even hanging in my new house. Everyone experiences adversity in life, but when things get tough, that poem always inspires me.”
Success requires leadership, he says, and being a good leader starts with honesty.
“Just tell the truth. My father taught me that,” he says. “Second, you have to be consistent in all walks of life. Third, you have to be a good communicator.”
Holcomb says he knew that when he retired from the NFL, it would be to Murfreesboro. “I love the people. I love the town. It’s not too big, it’s not too small, and everything you need is here. It’s just a great place to live and raise kids,” he says.
Bank on What He’s Learned
A Navy veteran who served in World War II, Jack O. Weatherford started a career in banking just out of college, and he’s never looked back.
He had retired from Murfreesboro Bank and Trust Co. as chairman and CEO after a 40-year career, but in 2003 he went back to work to help form MidSouth Bank, Rutherford County’s only independently owned bank.
Often recognized for his business leadership, he also has served on numerous community boards. He and his wife, Mary, have been married for 62 years; they have four children and nine grandchildren.
Weatherford’s recipe for success has ingredients from his faith and his father’s teaching.
“I’ve always asked the Lord to lend me some of his wisdom,” he says. “Also, my father taught his children to work very hard. When I was headed to my first job at the bank, he told me, ‘Go in, work hard and don’t ask what they’re going to pay you.’ ”
To make a business work, Weatherford says, “Focus, work hard and have faith.”
Over the years, Weatherford declined job offers that would have taken him away from Rutherford County. “To me, Rutherford County has always seemed a cut above,” he says. “Murfreesboro’s leadership has worked together for the good of the community, and the quality of life is wonderful.”
Story by Carol Cowan
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