I was nearly fired as Daily Illini sports editor after kicking a hole through a wall on the fourth floor of the Illini Media building. 

It wasn’t the smoothest first day on the job, but the heel of my left foot bursting through the drywall was as good a wake-up call as any.

Hey, dummy. Stop acting like a damn child all the time.

I eventually paid off my debt to Illini Media Company through odd jobs and manual labor, but the message stuck. If I was going to experience success as a desk editor at The Daily Illini, I had better develop some maturity, and fast.

That sense of responsibility was one of the countless lessons I learned during my four years at the University of Illinois, both in the classroom and at the DI (though the latter served as the primary source for my education). I leave my post at the DI a self-assured journalist eager to make a name for myself — a welcomed upgrade from the blustering freshman who foolishly thought working for his high school newspaper was of any significance.

I still remember exiting the tall brick building overlooking Green Street in terror after submitting my reporter’s test, convinced my journalism career had ended before it even started for not knowing how to spell “buccaneer.” While that feeling of doom following an exam was one I’d soon become exceedingly familiar with, then-sports editor Cody Westerlund was gracious/foolish enough to hire me. Under Cody’s tutelage, and eventually that of Alex Iniguez and Kevin Kaplan, I developed reporting skills and a writing style that I can call my own and feel comfortable taking into my post-collegiate endeavors. 

I did my best to mirror the abilities of my predecessors during my time as sports editor. The job was arduous, unrelenting and the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.  

I never considered putting out a paper five times a week to be my main priority; if there’s one thing I accomplished as editor, I hope it’s that the reporters comprising the sports staff saw considerable improvements in their abilities. AP style was never my forte. I applied for the job so that I could help my reporters craft the best stories possible, and I believe I succeeded in doing so. That is what brings me the most joy.  

“What a year this day has been, What a day this year has been,” Best Coast singer/songwriter Bethany Cosentino croons in “Last Year.” Time is a funny thing, said Everyone Ever, but it’s the truth. Years always seem to go by so fast, while months take days and some weeks last an eternity. 

It was an eventful year to be sports editor, starting with three major coaching hires during my first week on the job. There was certainly a learning curve, but I eventually figured it out. I even found time to do some reporting of my own, including a story on fraternity rush that caught the eye of many. Working at the DI allowed for me to cover the likes of Denard Robinson, Montee Ball, the Chicago Bulls, first-round NFL Draft picks and Olympic sprinter Andrew Riley, and that was just this past year. It’s been a thrilling privilege that isn’t lost on me. 

I will take those experiences moving forward following my graduation in May (fingers crossed!) as I attempt to enter the field of long-form journalism and prove to my mom that pursuing a job in a dying industry is indeed a brilliant decision (shout-out to my mom, the most important person in my life. Your influence on me is — as my love is for you — immeasurable. It’s great having you on my team, and hopefully these kind words make up for this column being the first time you learn about my kicking a hole in the wall).

This is as good a time as any to thank the superbly gifted members that made up my staff for all their hard work. Any success the sports section experienced this year lies entirely within the merits of its reporters. I am indebted to all of you, and I won’t forget how fun you made this past year. 

The pages of The Daily Illini aren’t the last place you’ll be reading articles from the sports department’s departing members. I’ve never been one for having a hipster mentality, but I can’t wait to say I read these guys before they made it big.

Thanks as well to all my friends and family unmentioned, particularly My Best Pals. Thank you, all of you, for being part of my life.

It was never my intention to assume the role as sports editor, partly because I never considered it a possibility and partly because I was so keen on covering the men’s basketball team. I maintained this notion until a serendipitous conversation with DI lifer/swagger coach Emily Bayci flipped my stance mere hours before the application was due. I was eventually awarded the opportunity to run the sports section, but it came at the expense of Eliot Sill, who has been one of my best friends at school since shouldering the load with him as a fellow assistant sports editor. Eliot was relegated to reporting and column writing upon my hiring instead of heading the sports section. But rather than feeling scorned, he handled the situation with the kind of grace that I’m not sure I would’ve been able to replicate. 

Perhaps a year later than he would’ve liked, Eliot will replace me as sports editor following spring break. The Daily Illini’s sports section is poised to be even better next year under his guidance. He’s one of the brightest people I know and five times the writer I hope to ever be. I can’t wait to see what he does at helm.  

Just make sure to avoid the fourth floor.

Jeff is a senior in Media. He can be reached at [email protected].    Follow him on Twitter @jkirsh91.