MILLER COUNTY, Ga. (WALB) - Creek Durden is a sophomore at Miller County who has kept a 4.0 GPA while balancing varsity football and baseball. For Durden, success is not just about what he accomplishes or the accolades he receives — it’s about what he gives back.

“My goal is not to be the one that everyone talks about or remembers. I just want to leave a good foundation for something,” Durden said. “I mean, if it does end up being that everyone remembers me or something like that, that’s fine. But I want to set a good foundation.”

Community service

Durden said he feels called to serve.

“Everyone has their own calling, and hopefully I’m doing good holding mine up right now,” Durden said.

He lends a hand at food drives, builds toys for the less fortunate around Christmas, and steps up whenever his community calls.

“Coach Causey always calls me when something needs to be done,” Durden said. “That happened the other day, we had a food drive at the church. It’s once a month usually. He called me, we showed up and I think we were done an hour and a half ahead of schedule.”

For Durden, Miller County is the place that shaped him. The small-town charm, how everyone knows everyone, is what Durden said he appreciates about the place he grew up.

“Miller County is my family, honestly,” Durden said. “Every teacher I’ve had, probably once or twice, and they’re the best. They’ve always loved me like my momma or my dad. It’s awesome to have that because in the subjects I have struggled with before, they’ve always been there to help me back up.”

Giving back

Durden said he hopes to leave the county and school in better shape than how he found it.

“I work up here at the school in the summer. That’s my summer job,” Durden said. “Just keeping the school clean and the way I would want it to be if I was someone in charge of it. It’s special to me to keep our community and our public places clean and protected.”

Durden took home the 2025 Locker Room Report ‘South Georgia Community Award’ for his outstanding service efforts.

After graduation, Durden said he plans to make his mark somewhere else in the world but said he will most likely find his way back home in the future.

Congratulations to Creek Durden for being recognized as this week’s Valdosta State Scholar Athlete!

If you know an outstanding student-athlete, click here to nominate them.

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Let us know. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook and X (Twitter). For more South Georgia news, download the WALB News app from the Apple Store or Google Play.

Copyright 2026 WALB. All rights reserved.