St. Luke's: Tell us about yourself and your family
Dylan Hale: There are five people in my family including me. I have two little brothers, Brody and Reece, who are in 9th and 5th grade at St. Luke’s. My Dad is a Realtor with Bellator Real Estate and my mom is a Professor at The University of Alabama. She is also the virtual teacher at St. Luke’s. My family are all athletes. My Dad played baseball at South Alabama and for the Orioles. My Mom played softball at Southern Miss. They are very supportive in all my sports life. They make me very happy and I love all of them.

SL:   What do you like to do in your free time?
DH:   In my free time I love to run my business “Hales Acres Lawn Care and Powerwashing” and just being outside. Some things I like to do outside are work on my truck, ride my fourwheeler, some kind of sporting activity with my friends, or being on the water. Playing four sports, my “free time” is very minimal but whenever I do have a second to spare I love to be outside.

SL:   What are your college plans?
DH:   My plans for college are to attend Mississippi College and to play football and throw javelin for the track team. I was lucky enough to sign on National Signing Day with the football team. Go Choctaws! I also plan on joining Army ROTC so I can graduate as an Army 2nd Lieutenant and join the National Guard. I plan to major in Homeland Security so that after I graduate, I will attend the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) to become a Homeland Security agent.

SL:   What are you passionate about?
DH:   Two things I am most passionate about are my athletics and running my business. I eat healthy, don’t miss a workout, try to get rest, etc. so I can be in as good of shape as possible when I report to Mississippi College in the Fall. If I’m not at practice or working out, I’m working.

SL:   What do you love most about St. Luke's?
DH:   My favorite thing about St. Luke's is that we are not just a school, we’re a giant family. Everybody knows everybody and that is what is so great about our school. Part of the reason I chose Mississippi College is because it reminds me of a bigger version of St. Luke’s.

SL:   Why should others consider playing more than one sport at St. Luke's?
DH:   There are a lot of reasons to play more than one sport at St. Luke’s - and being able to play more than one is a great reason to go to St. Luke’s. First, it is good for you as an athlete. You will develop more muscles and skills if you have to do different things. Second, college coaches aren’t looking for athletes that specialize. The first two questions college coaches have asked me is 1.) What is your GPA? 2.) Do you play more than one sport? More often than not a coach will pick a multi sport athlete rather than a single sport athlete. Third, it helps the school. We go to a small school that gives us a lot. All athletes should give back by being in at least one sport every season. You might not be great at it, but you will never regret that you did it.

SL:   What do athletes get at St. Luke's that they don't get anywhere else?
DH:   Playing time, winning, and family. Every athlete wants playing time. At St. Luke’s there are way more chances for playing time than at other schools. Also, we win a lot. I heard a few years ago that we had more State Championships faster than any other high school in the State. Maybe most importantly, the St. Luke's coaches care and take time with their players in and out of practice and games. I can text my coaches about anything, any time. It is hard to describe how close the athletes are at St. Luke’s. My teammates are like my family to me.

SL:   What is something most people don't know about you?
DH:   Something that most people wouldn’t know about me is that I have two tortoises, Hercules and Apollo, that I love to take care of. I have built several habitats for them at my house. Something else most people don’t know is that I love taking pictures of nature, which is something my grandmother used to do.

Thanks Dylan!   We'll be cheering for you this fall at Mississippi College!