Back when I was a freshman and sophomore, I would often pick up a copy of Hilltop Views and immediately turn to the sports page and start critiquing.

“That name is misspelled; that stat is wrong; that is terrible analysis,” I thought to myself.

As an avid sports fan and information sponge, I always felt like I could do a better job. So in the fall of 2012, I joined Hilltop Views as a staff writer and wrote a slew of columns about national sports.

While I was having a grand ol’ time, thinking how sweet it would be doing this for ESPN someday, I neglected to notice the distress of my editors at the time, as they were frequently scrambling to find writers.

I would soon learn that finding sports stories and writers on a campus like St. Edward’s was a tall order, as I was named sports editor for the following year — the only solo section editor in the entire paper.

The gig was a trial by fire; I was alone, clueless with a Mac, and had no idea what it took to build an entire section from the ground up.

I received internal criticism, some warranted and some not, but I ultimately feel like I leave Hilltop Views sports a little better than I found it.

Heck, I even handpicked and groomed a capable successor, J-Roge — though he can be a pain in the rear at times.