Brock Gibson has earned a reputation as a do-it-all guy during his time at Wink.
With multiple accolades across a variety of sports, Gibson showed his versatility by standing out in the classroom.
The three-time All-State tight end and linebacker will graduate fourth in the Class of 2021, taking his next step to Hardin-Simmons University.
“Playing college football has always been a dream of mine since I was a very young kid,” Gibson said. “Once I started loving the game of football, I knew I wanted to play at that level.”
When Gibson starts his time at Hardin-Simmons, he plans on majoring in animal sciences or education.
His career goals include owning his own veterinary clinic or becoming an athletic director.
Gibson grew up around both possible career paths with his father being an athletic director and his mother serving as a girls basketball coach and high school principal.
He also spent a large portion of his life showing steers, drawing his interest to animals.
He split his livestock duties with school and sports evenly throughout high school, making sure he took care of his animals in the mornings to avoid adding on to long days of practice.
Because of his love for animals, Gibson’s strongest subject in school was science.
Biology, chemistry and anatomy always stood out to Gibson because of how closely they fit with his degree plan.
Though he preferred the scientific aspect of his courses, Gibson made the biggest impact on his English teacher, Heather Archibald.
Archibald, who is Wink’s volleyball coach, said Gibson’s work ethic stood out to her the most when he was in the classroom.
“It doesn’t matter what situation you put him in,” Archibald said. “If he’s putting his name to it, he’s going to do his best to represent himself, his school and his family.
“His classroom work ethic is no different than what he produces in athletics.”
Seeing Gibson excel through high school is a humbling experience for Archibald, who has gotten to know the student-athlete well over the last four years. He even competed as part of her UIL Academics teams, advancing to regionals in current issues and informative speaking.
“He has become one of those kids that when you need him to come through and do something for you, he is gonna always be there,” Archibald said. “That’s the hardest part about seeing him go now, you kind of lose that stability.”
Gibson will begin his collegiate career having already completed core coursework through Odessa College.
Although Gibson’s primary goal might be to study animal sciences, his father Brian believes he would make a great coach.
The Wink athletic director said his son’s understanding of many sports and ability to connect with people make him a strong coaching candidate.
“He knows how to communicate with people, he knows how to get the best out of people,” Brian Gibson said. “I know he’ll be successful in any of the ventures that he chooses. I just want him to get a good education, finish his college degree and enjoy playing college football.”
The legacy Brock Gibson leaves behind can be seen in Wink’s young student-athletes. Archibald said the multi-sport star always went out of his way to make sure everyone felt included.
“There’s definitely going to be a void with him being gone next year, just because he does so much for them,” Archibald said. “He’s done a lot for our athletic program, he’s kind of carried it from beginning to end and brought a lot to the table.
“There’s going to be some really big shoes to fill next year.”
>> Follow Chris Amaya on Twitter at @OA_CAmaya
