Former Heritage athlete Jacob Sampson said being the son of a pastor is far from being a curse.

However, Sampson said it's not always considered a blessing for a teenager.

Above all, Jacob says he's proud of who he is and where he's going.

The 2012 graduate, and one of 19 members of the 2012 Catoosa-Walker Baseball Dream Team, said most preacher’s children are held to a

“higher standard” in the community. He said he's been no different as a high profile student athlete.

Jacob, who is the son of Dr. David Sampson of Parkway Baptist Temple and his mother Melissa, said he’s tried to live by the Bible and the word.

He said his favorite passage is Philippians 4:13, which reads “I can do all things through Jesus which stregtheneth me.”

“I’ve always tried to keep my life in check with God,” Jacob said.

“And I’ve always tried to listen to my dad.”

Jacob said, “Every kid is going to mess up,” regardless who their parents are. He said the best advise his father ever gave him was to

avoid “pressure points.”

“I just try to keep myself out of bad situations,” he said. “I’ve never struggled with peer pressure because I know what’s right and wrong and I know what I need to do.”

Dr. Sampson said he was proud of his son, along with a lot of other student athletes in the community.

“We’ve taught our kids the most powerful word in the human language is no,” he said. “We’ve taught him it’s ok to say no to man and yes to

God…everything rises and falls in leadership but he’s done a good job with it. He’s had his ups and downs, but he’s never been in trouble.”

Jacob has two other siblings, including Haile, 16 and Heather, 14.