HATTIESBURG — In Robert Wells’ opinion, he isn’t supposed to be where he is.

From running through dirt and up and down hills, to the track of Southern Miss, Wells considers himself blessed for the opportunity that awaits him.

Wells won three straight state championships while at Jefferson County High School and also holds all the school records. From there, he took his talents to Hinds Community College, where he would earn All-American honors.

“From me leaving Jefferson County going to Hinds, it was a blessing,” Wells said. “Where I’m from, you’re not really supposed to make it. We basically just ran in dirt. We had a football field, but everyone else in our district had a track.”

Wells would leave Hinds ranked fourth in the junior college national rankings and head to Hattiesburg to hit the track for Southern Miss. And from there, his mission began.

“When I first arrived on campus, I was on a mission because this is something that had never been done,” Wells said. “I’m the only athlete to earn and sign a Division I track and field scholarship from my high school, and I didn’t want to let anyone down or disappoint them. My main goal was to keep a level head and stay focused.”

Wells didn’t disappoint. In his first meet as a Golden Eagle, he stepped to the starting line for his 200-meter race. The rest was history.

“The race was different because it was indoors, and it was my first time running the 200 meters indoors,” he said. “I just prayed about it and asked God to help me, and everything fell into place.”

Wells breezed through the race, and when he crossed the finish line, he owned a Southern Miss school record.

“Actually, I didn’t know I had the record,” he said. “When I got to the team tent they told me and I thought, ‘No, this can’t be real.’ My whole goal leaving Hinds was to break a record and be remembered as a legend.”

Wells finished the race with a time of 21.79 seconds,

Wells said that he had felt the pressure after making the move to Southern Miss, but it was something that he used to help push himself.

“It was a good pressure on me,” he said. “I want pressure, because I know I love to run track. Years from now, I can tell my kids I was the first person from Jefferson County to receive a DI track and field scholarship, an All-American at Hinds, and hold a record at Southern Miss. Not many people can do that.”

But the mission isn’t over for Wells, who has big aspirations.

“I want to go to the Olympics,” he said. “And when I broke the record, I told my coach, ‘I’m on a mission to be one of the greatest at Southern Miss. I don’t want to be average, I want to be great.’”