Peter Holland Jr.: Thank you, Canton, for making me an honorary Ohioan

Three years ago, I was driving 1,000 miles to Ohio from Nebraska. It was also the first time I had ever driven long distance. Crazy enough, we were still dealing with the pandemic in the middle of January. Even with a snowstorm, it was a smooth trip, and I knew then that moving to Canton was the best decision I had ever made in my journalism.

Three years later, I made another tough but best decision for my career. I'll be moving back to my home state of Florida, where I will cover Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. It is bittersweet, knowing that I am moving on from The Canton Repository because of the fondest memories that I shared in the Canton/Massillon area.

It's like every year was a new adventure that I got the chance to experience in Ohio.

It's not every day that you get the chance to travel to visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But to cover the Hall is a different story.

The last two enshrinements were some of the best experiences I had in my career, especially last year when I got the chance to interview and write feature stories about my two favorite players growing up, Darelle Revis and Zach Thomas. My stories made it to USA Today.

As people are critical of how the voting committee evaluates who makes the Pro Football Hall of Fame class each year, I gained a further understanding of the process. After learning about it, I even hope to one day be a PFHOF voter. It also was an honor to meet and network with some of the current voters and to receive insight from them. I also want to shout out to Rich Desrosiers (the Hall's chief communications officer) for keeping me posted on what's going on at the Hall.

More: Pro Football Hall of Fame launching 'Hall of Famer Residency Program' next week

One of my favorite things at the Rep has been following the pro football career of Canton native and McKinley grad Dominique Robinson. It was fun getting to know Robinson, his family, and his unique story, which he was nice enough to share with me. It also was amazing to cover the day he got drafted by the Chicago Bears after getting invited to Robinson's draft party. I still remember it very clearly: From him receiving the phone call from a Chicago area code to me being in a perfect position to record a live video reaction from Robinson and everyone who was there after his name popped up on the television screen, and then interviewing Robinson right after. It was one of those days that made the job worthwhile.

Covering high school football here was a bit of a challenge, since I was not familiar with any of the teams. But with my experience covering high school football in three different states prior, I settled in and was fascinated by each program in the area.

Then there was Massillon. When I was given the beat to cover Massillon Tigers football, I was excited. I was in awe when I first stepped foot at Massillon Washington High, and the first two things I saw were Paul Brown Tiger Stadium and Massillon's indoor practice facility. Take it from a guy who graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, I had never seen the state-of-the-art facilities that the Tigers have.

Then I had a job to do. I knew Massillon was something special, but I never guessed that the 2023 season would be historic. I love telling stories and the 2023 season was filled with stories. Massillon's state championship victory over Hoban felt like a movie.

I didn't expect to leave Ohio so soon because I felt I had more to give. I had ideas and plans for how I wanted next football season to go. But then I had the opportunity that I couldn't ignore. Covering college football has always been my dream job. I thought maybe if I stuck around, I might move up and cover Ohio State at the Columbus Dispatch or the Cincinnati Bearcats at the Enquirer. I was practically an honorary Ohioan. But getting the chance to cover high-profile beats like Florida State and being closer to my family was an offer that I couldn't refuse.

It just happened so fast. It isn't until just now, while I'm writing this, that I've realized how far I've gone and how far I can go.

Writing for the Rep the last three years made me see that, and I am forever grateful for being part of the staff. I thank Chris Beaven and Rick Armon for bringing me here. I also thank my fellow co-workers Josh Weir, Cliff Hickman, Mike Popovich, and Steve Doerschuck, along with my colleagues at the Akron Beacon Journal — Brad Bournival, Nate Ulrich, and Chris Easterling.

All are not only great writers but great people who I had the pleasure of getting to know throughout my time here. I hope you all continue to support them and all the local media members. This was one of the best times I've had as a journalist, and I will cherish every minute of it as I move forward.

Thank you all for reading my work and following me on my social media pages. Thank you to all high school players, coaches, and everyone involved in the programs for letting me tell your kids' stories, and I wish you all nothing but the best going forward. There is so much talent in Stark County, and I hope the next person who will take over my role will provide the same energy I brought during my tenure. I may be heading south, but Canton will always be home. I bid you all a farewell.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Peter Holland Jr. reflects on his Canton Repository memories