EXTRA EFFORT: 1989

In October 1989, Tom Suiter was the stately age of 40. Changes had been in the air much of the last year. Fan favorite Adele Arakawa had departed for Chicago's WBBM. Long-time WRAL Weatherman Bob DeBardelaben had retired, replaced by Meterologist Greg Fishel.

Tom, now eight years as the lead anchor of WRAL's sportscasts, was well entrinched on the Triangle's airwaves.

I was the ripe age of 15. And enamored with an affection for WRAL-TV 5 News. I knew journalism was becoming my life's passion. As a staff writer for Vance Senior High School's student newspaper "The Viking," I was learning early on about the basics.

It was at this time a star player on the Viking Football team was about to be honored with WRAL's Extra Effort award. The entire journalism class went out to the football field for the event. Amazingly, I never could imagine what was in store.

Out of knowwhere, SKY 5 came. With it, pilot Steve Wiley, and the creator of the Extra Effort award himself, Tom Suiter.

I made sure to position myself in a way to meet Tom. I could never have imagined this larger-than-life figure as being down to earth. He was the nicest person I could have ever imagined.

I promised him I'd send him a copy of "The Viking." And he promised he'd read it.

I'm sure the ink wasn't even dry when I popped copies of the next edition of the paper into the mail. This was the beginning of a friendship that has endured nearly 20 years.

I've never forgotten several days after sending "The Viking" to Tom, driving up to my mailbox one afternoon and pulling out that envelope with the WRAL-TV 5 logo on it. Like a kid getting a personal letter from Santa Claus, I was beyond excited.

And in that letter, a stunning invitation: "Anytime you want, you're welcome to come to the station." I don't know if he realized at the time he was opening Pandora's box. Yet, I seized the opportunity.

My first visit to the station in 1990 was like a kid in a Candy store. It was everything I had ever imagined and then some. Tom was a gracious host. I got to watch the 5:30 First News with Donna Gregory. Then, the 6 o'clock news was up. More exciting, I got to watch that from the 5:30 First News Set.

I'll never forget during a break, Tom says to Charlie, Donna and Greg "Have you all Met Randy Gupton the third? Randy's from Vance Senior High in Henderson."

I just couldn't believe he was acknowledging me to these people. After the newscast, Tom posed for pictures, and took mine on the Newsdesk. I was touching part of my dream. And, more importantly, the seeds of my enthusiasm for this industry were being watered and fed.

Over the years, Tom was the inspiration and proved to be an invaluable mentor. In the fall of 1990, I was asked to announce the starting lineups for the Northern Vance Vikings basketball team. Tom coached me on how I was going to do it. Imagine my nervousness when he said "Let me hear what you're going to say."

I was now auditioning for my hero. Tom gave me more pointers and helped me in ways others could only dream about.

But that's Tom. And it's not just me. He does this for everyone. You see, it's not his on air delivery or style or anything else that people see on camera which has been his mark. It's what people don't see behind the scenes that is the true mark of this great man.

Tom has helped hundreds of kids interested in broadcasting through the years. Whether it was the Extra Effort award, giving a kid some face time scoring a touchdown on Friday night, or getting to know an intern, Tom treated each person as if they had what it takes to make it.

NEXT UP: The 90s and Beyond...

Randy Gupton, fivesecondstoair.blogspot.com