Let’s get one thing out of the way…Maverick McNealy is a name that just REEKS of stardom. It’s got built in expectations. Not so much the McNealy part (well, that is if you forget about that fact that his father is billionaire founder of Sun Microsystems, Scott McNealy), but you can’t be named Maverick and manage a fucking Dollar Store. Rough to go through life being mediocre with such a badass name. It’s like being named Crystal and choosing a different path in life other than being a stripper. So much let down.

Maverick McNealy is more than a cool name. He’s more than the Top Gun jokes he probably puts up with regularly. He’s a 20-year-old college golfer who was expected to be a “roll player” on Stanford’s team and nothing else. This morning, I watched the profile above on Golf Channel and I found his process and determination to be remarkable.

McNealy was the 3767th ranked amateur golfer in the world going into college. His recruiting reports sounded like he had zero shot of making an impact on Stanford’s golf team. Anyone with less resolve would have allowed it to cripple them. But McNealy took all of that negativity and turned himself into the #1 amateur in the world. That’s not easy to do. But McNealy did it through his love of data, which is something he got from his father. And also, HARD WORK. Because DUH.

The craziest part of McNealy’s story is not even be his determination to prove critics wrong or his use of data. It’s that although he has reached this high level of golf, he has long said he doesn’t know if he wants to be a professional golfer. WHAT?!?! It’s stupefying, but it’s true; McNealy wants to do something bigger and more impactful with his life than just being a professional athlete. All I can say to that is AGREE TO DISAGREE. Plus, you can do a hell of a lot of good for the world and still be a successful athlete. Think about it, Maverick. Grab a few of your closest friends, throw on some jeans and go play beach volleyball while you think about it.