Meet Your Trojans: Grady Bourguignon

LITTLE ROCK – This week's featured "Meet Your Trojans" student-athlete is golf player, Grady Bourguignon, a Finance major from Yuma, Arizona, and member of Little Rock's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
 
Little Rock's next match will be the Memphis Invitational at Colonial Country Club on Sept. 26-27.
 
What made you want to attend UALR?
 
First off, coach Harrington. Coach was my first reason for coming out here. He's originally from Arizona and he brought me out this way. And the city and the courses; it's pretty nice out here.
 
I knew coach from South Mountain Community College and when he came this way I just followed him out here.
 
What is your favorite thing to do in Little Rock?
 
Play golf. I like to go watch movies at the Rave Theater. And every Friday night the whole team goes out to David's Burger. We get done at Eagle Hill on Friday and you just know where to go.
 
What's the best part about being a Trojan?
 
The atmosphere. I like seeing how when I came in as a freshmen and how it is now, it's just two different worlds. How much we've grown in two years, it's pretty impressive.
 
What's something that most people don't know about you?
 
I like movies a lot. That's probably my biggest thing, I watch a lot of movies. The last three movies I watched were War Dogs, last week. I watched Remember the Titans the other night and Suicide Squad – it was a good movie. It wasn't as good as War Dogs, I thought War Dogs was one of the best movies I've seen in a while. It was pretty good.
 
Who is the athlete you most admire?
 
Kobe Bryant. His preparation, the way he attacks, that killer instinct. I think that translates in any sport you play. If you can embody somebody to be in your sport, that's the person you want to be like.
 
My favorite golfer is Boo Weekly. I think he's just fun to watch. I think he just looks like he's enjoying and having a good time out there, which is something I want to try to do.
 
What's the earliest memory you have of participating in golf?
 
When I was five I went to Jekyll Island in Georgia for U.S. Kids Golf and that was probably the first memory I really have. We flew down as a family and kind of made a vacation of it down there.
 
What's the best advice you've received?

To just enjoy it, enjoy being an athlete. Coach talks a lot about focus and preparation but he also talks about enjoying the time you have as an athlete. I'm three years in and I don't feel like I've been here for three years. It goes by fast.
 
Who was your childhood hero?

Both of my parents. Honestly, they work so hard to provide everything for me and to have the opportunity to come out here. They're both equally my heroes for giving me the opportunity to be successful.
 
What advice would you give to children just getting started in athletics?

Enjoy it. Obviously to work hard and be the best that you can be, but never forget that it's just a game.
 
What's the most interesting thing you've learned recently?

I read a book called "Relentless" by Tim Grove. He trained Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant and one thing I picked out of that book that was pretty interesting was the fact that when Michael Jordan started training with him, he paid him not to train anybody else.
 
Michael Jordan was like, "I don't want anybody to know what makes me great." I thought that was something interesting because he didn't want to share his secrets. He wasn't even sharing them with Scottie Pippen and his teammates. He was just like "I want to be the best and I don't want anybody else to know how I got to be here."
 
What are some of the community service projects you've been involved with since coming to Little Rock?
 
We do the Little Rock First Tee every semester. That's probably my favorite because it involves golf and you get to be around the youth of Little Rock. It can be something that helps change kids' lives or shape values. We enjoy that a lot. Another one we do that's fun is that we go play in the Boys and Girls Club Tournament in Maumelle in September. That's a fun one just because we get a chance to be out in the community with people that are supporting a good cause. That's always a good time.
 
What's your favorite home-cooked meal?
 
Prime Rib and potatoes. That's my go-to when I go home.
 
What's the best reason people should attend your team's games?

I think that right now we are going. And I think that it's good for the people in Little Rock to jump on that wagon. I think that it's just going to keep continuing to get better. Our team is always out supporting every other team, so I think the people in the community should get behind what we are trying to do here. I think it's going to be special pretty soon.