BY TERI R. WILLIAMS | PHOTOS BY DAPHNE WALKER
a lesson in
endurance
Life has given him plenty of reasons to
“give up,” but Elliot Coursey remains
steadfast in his walk to help others...
making him an inspiration for all.
“Never give in, never give in, never,
never, never, never–in nothing,
great or small, large or petty–never
give in except to convictions of
honour and good sense.”
Winston Churchill
There are many versions of Winston Churchill’s legendary
call for perseverance and hope during WWII. For Elliot
Coursey, it was “Quitters never win and winners never
quit,” a quote attributed in more recent times to Vince
Lombardi and painted on the walls of the old junior high
school gym during Coach Anson Callaway’s unforgettable career
with the Toombs County schools and Lyons Recreation Department.
Elliot didn’t know Vince Lombardi, but he did know Coach Callaway
whose character and leadership were enough to make those words
come alive as he fought for his life.
You may not have seen him, but if you’ve been to the Toombs
County Courthouse in the last year or so, he’s seen you. Deputy
Elliot Coursey has been working with Lieutenant Mike Harlin to
provide security for the courthouse since 2016. Even though the
plastic dinosaur on the edge of his desk and sign that reads “Beware
of the Goat” speak of his quick wit and easy humor, his relentless
watch of every person who comes to the courthouse is always
vigilant.
Before Elliot was a police officer, he was a Marine. He joined the
Marines in 1987 just after graduating from Lyons Senior High School
(now Toombs County High School). The son of a Marine, he was well
prepared for boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina. “It was the
way my daddy raised me,” said Elliot.
12 Toombs County Magazine