Wade Hamby defies the odds before legendary career at West Point

Senior fought for his life before becoming a two-time state champion

WEST POINT, MS (WCBI)- Not all things in life are guaranteed. Just ask West Point senior Wade Hamby, who fought for his life before any team on the football field.

Hamby was born with a rare heart condition that limited his breathing. He was in and out of different surgeries from the time he was 16 months old until middle school. As a result, the kid who wanted nothing to do but play football couldn’t pursue his passion on the field.

But things took a turn for the better in 2018. After doctors advised Hamby that he should not play football, he finally found someone who saw a path to the field for him.

“God blessed me with the opportunity to play, I just had to work a lot harder for it,” Hamby said. “Everyone has their own little story and rough patches in the road. Football has taught me how to face adversity. I’ve learned to not just run from it, but to go towards it.”

Hamby had to become much stronger and well-conditioned so that his body could take the brutal hits he would face on the football field. He often would find his mother in the stands after getting hit, signaling a thumbs up to her to make sure she knew he was okay.

“Just to see him overcome what he did and to even put on the jersey, as a mom, I was beyond proud.” Wade’s mother, Jenny Hamby, said. “I can’t put it into words. Just to see him conquer his dream, it meant everything to me.”

Hamby would begin a successful career in middle school before working his way up to the varsity team. Once Hamby earned the starting fullback role on offense, he took advantage of it. Hamby would go on to play in three state-championship games at West Point, walking away with two rings that represent a journey much greater than just the wins and losses.

Hamby etched his name into West Point history forever. With the Green Wave’s victory over Gautier in the 5A State Championship game, the school set a new Mississippi record with its 13th state title win. That game would be Hamby’s final as a Green Wave, ending his high school football career going back-to-back as state champions.

“It just meant the world to me,” Hamby said. “All of the hard work, my teammates, coaches, and I had finally paid off.”

West Point head coach Brett Morgan saw Hamby’s dedication early on. While Hamby had fought just to reach the playing field, Morgan noted that his previous health complications were not the only injuries he had faced. Morgan noted that Hamby had torn up his knee during his junior season, but knew that wasn’t going to stop him.

“He refused to come out,” Morgan said. “He played all year on it. It was just like, ‘Coach, I’ve done so much to get to this point, my knee is not keeping me out. ‘ We would try to get him out in practice on stuff that he had already repped, and he just refused to come out. He refused the knee to be an issue after he had already been through so much.”

Hamby’s story of toughness and perseverance also caught the attention of his classmates. Autume Banks, a freshman at West Point, knew that she wanted to be the one to tell Wade’s story. As a student in the broadcasting course, Banks saw the perfect opportunity to highlight Hamby’s upbringing.

“I had never heard of any story like that,” Banks said. “I knew I wanted to be the reporter for this. I want to write the script, I want to do everything for this story because it’s inspiring. Some kids might think that because they have a condition, they might not be able to do nothing in their lives, but just seeing him overcome his condition was so beautiful.”