Around the Horn With Jackie Wilkins
4/8/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
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by Adrienne Betts
Miami is a place with extremely interesting people, and Jackie Wilkins can attest to that. The senior centerfielder grew up in Miami and learned first hand about the variety of people who call it home.
“My family had a house we rented out and we met Troy,” Wilkins said. “He lived in Miami Beach and was going to have to leave because he had monkeys.”
Wilkins’ dad let Troy rent the house and build a monkey cage in the backyard to keep his prized pets. Wilkins’ new neighbor was also a photographer and “Survivor” fanatic.
“He’s very woodsy and likes the outdoors. He’s tried out for every ‘Survivor’ and has made it to the finals almost every time. Don’t be surprised if you see him on there soon,” Wilkins said. “He’s also a photographer for Sports Illustrated and other magazines. That’s cool because he’s met really cool people like Muhammad Ali. I’d love to help him with his photography.”
While helping her neighbor would be a fun job, Wilkins’ dream is to go into collegiate coaching. Though she’s studying public relations at the Capstone, softball is where her heart is.
“I’d love to coach for any team,” she said. “Any of the powerhouses would be fun, like in the Pac-10 or even the SEC.”
Wilkins definitely has the drive and desire to fulfill her goal. After all, she was faced with a huge challenge while she was just a freshman – taking over centerfield following former Tide All-American and 2004 Olympian Kelly Kretschman.
“I didn’t really think about taking over her position,” Wilkins recalls. “It is impossible to fill the shoes of Kelly Kretschman. I just wanted to help the team.”
Help the team she did. In her first year, Wilkins was named Second Team All-SEC. As a sophomore, she helped the Tide make it to Oklahoma City, home of the College World Series.
“Going to the College World Series was awesome,” Wilkins said. “We played Oklahoma in Oklahoma City. We have never played in front of that many people before.”
Now, as Wilkins prepares to conclude her time at the Capstone, she hopes to make it back to Oklahoma City and win it all. Hopefully then, her neighbor Troy can take a shot of her worthy of a Sports Illustrated cover.
