Former Pine Tree Standout Makes The Most Of His Opportunities - Pine Tree Education Foundation & Alumni Community

Where Are They Now? Former Pine Tree Standout Makes The Most Of His Opportunities

College attended: Texas Tech (class of 1999) — double major in finance and economics.

Current job/profession: Partner in Southland Contracting, a tunneling business, and regional manager for Oscar Renda, a heavy civil construction company. Resides in Northlake, north of Fort Worth near Texas Motor Speedway.

Family life: Wife Nikki, a 1995 Pine Tree graduate and 1999 Texas Tech graduate; three daughters — Katelinn (5), Allisen (3), Loren (2).

Why you remember him: Winn, who played both ways for Pine Tree's football team, was a two-time all-district defensive end for the Pirates, earning All-East Texas honors as a senior. He was also an all-district basketball player as a senior. Winn is a member of the Pine Tree Hall of Fame.

Winn walked on at Texas Tech under former coach Spike Dykes and earned a scholarship, eventually starting several games during his senior season in 1999.

He was more of a life teacher than a coach. My business partner played football at Tech also, and we talk about him at least weekly, something that he said to us. It was a fantastic place to be when Spike was there. He was a great guy.

How difficult was starting your Tech career as a walk-on, then working you way up the ladder?

Spike always encouraged the walk-ons. I got invited to walk-on. There was five of us, and four of us made the team. We just really had a good walk-on class that year. I remember the first time I walked in, I had never played tight end, but they didn't have anybody who had played tight end. There was one other guy who was about 6-5 1/2, 270 pounds, and I thought, "You know, there's a good chance I'll never play a down here." But at the end of the first year, I could see some things I could do better than him. I would just get little bits of encouragement now and then, and had some support of some really good friends. It wasn't easy but it was worth it. I walked in the door about 6-3 1/2 and maybe 213. The biggest I got was 6-4, 249 my junior year.

Rudy Renda played ball with me and walked on with me at Tech. It was his family's business, and we took it over. We've been managing the thing with his cousin, Frank, for the last six years.

Did you have your mind set on finance and economics when you got to Tech, or did you choose your career path there?

I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to learn more about money because I was interested in the stock market, financial systems, banking, the economy. When I saw the construction I saw an opportunity there to turn somebody who didn't have a lot of money, who was willing to work hard (into somebody who) could.

It very much parallels football, actually. Not being intimidated. That's what it's all about in construction and football. I just had the opportunity to do it with two really good people and two really good friends (Rudy and Frank Renda).