For Jamie Graham, cornhole began like most: in the backyard at a family reunion. At the time, the 15-year-old from Hamlet, North Carolina wasn’t good at all. But his competitive nature and his strive to be good at everything has had him pursuing cornhole ever since.

Next thing Graham knew, he was coming home after school every day and practicing with his brother. They would play local tournaments together, and before they knew it, the “Graham Crackers” were winning everything.

Graham continued to practice daily and would watch Youtube videos of players like Matt Guy and Derrick King.

“I probably watched over 10 hours worth of Youtube videos of Matt Guy,” Graham confessed. “I also watched players like Derrick King when he was 16, Isidro [Hererra], Cody Henderson and Adam [Hissner] were big, and I would bother Frank Modlin and Tyler Poythress a lot, asking them questions when I was new.

From there, Graham’s rise was swift. He continued to get better and better, and by his junior year of high school he was winning $1,000 tournaments on the weekend. Graham quickly realized he wanted to pursue conhole more and more.

“I’m not gonna lie, I was not a college guy. I kinda wanted to pursue this cornhole thing. I knew I had a future in this sport, it just came down to how much work I was willing to put in.”

While it didn’t take long to be good, it wasn’t always perfect for Jamie. Graham reminisces about his first-ever ESPN broadcast match, which took place at the 2017 Championship of Bags in Cherokee, North Carolina. Graham faced Josh Holland in the Junior Singles final, and not only did he get double-dipped, he never scored more than seven points in either of the games. 

“When the cameras went live and they said “these bags are live,” everything switched,” Graham said. “I couldn’t feel my hand, I couldn’t feel the bag, I was shaking. It was very embarrassing.”

Jamie quickly realized he could use that moment as a stepping stone to get to the next level of competitive cornhole.

“Either I can quit and be pissed off, or I can move on and learn to work through the nerves and the mental game.”

More recently, Jamie has had no problem on the broadcast court under the lights. Last weekend, he swept ACL Signature #2 in Mesa, AZ, winning both Pro Singles and Pro Doubles (with partner Jacob Trzcienski). It was Graham’s 21st and 22nd career titles, making him the second-most decorated player of all time, behind only Mark Richards. 

Graham says that the years of experience and getting used to that nervous feeling is what helped him get better on the big stage.

“The big thing is the time I’ve spent in the game – getting used to how it feels knowing all eyes are on you, this is going to be televised, people you don’t know are going to be watching. Learning to play in the moment, and not worrying about what everyone else thinks.”

For Graham, it's not just about practicing and working to get better physically; the mental side of the game is just as, if not more, important. 

Graham said he quit practicing every single day because the expectations of practicing that often became too high.

“You assume at my level, I should go to every tournament and win. If I’m throwing two hours a day for the next two months, I shouldn’t miss in this tournament. But that's not the case –it doesn’t matter how much you practice.” 

Graham says confidence goes a long way as well.

“Let's say I don’t throw a single bag between now and the next tournament, which is in two weeks, and I walk in that building and say that I am confident that I can win this tournament. I think I have a better chance to win that tournament than if I practiced every day for two weeks and I was negative about how I felt the day before. The confidence is a big thing in this sport.”  

Graham says he believes cornhole is 70% a mental game, 20% skill, 10% luck. 

Not only is Jamie having a successful Singles season, but also a rejuvenated Doubles experience with new Pro partner Jacob Trzcienski. Trzcienski threw over an 11 PPR for the entire doubles tournament, and Graham says he loves playing with him.

“I’m not gonna lie, he’s my favorite partner of all time,” Graham said. “I think it comes down to age chemistry. We’re both young, and the passion Jacob has is inspiring. I’ve been doing this for 12 years, and watching Jacob on the other end, the passion he has when he gets hyped up… he gives enough to where it keeps me pumped up too and strives to make every bag to win a tournament for each of us. I love playing with Jacob; we mesh very well and I think we’re going to create a legacy for this sport for years to come.” 

For aspiring players, Graham’s advice is clear: have a short memory, put a lot of work in, and realize that if you want anything in life, it won’t come easy. 

“Short memory, and put a lot of work in. Go to these tournaments and get beat by the best. Don’t worry about losing right now – the main focus is getting the reps and learning to play against the best, because at the end of the day if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best.” 

Graham says he isn’t finished this season. His goals include tying or passing Mark Richards for most ACL titles of all time, having himself and Trzcienski reach the top of the Doubles pool, and finishing as the number one Singles player in the world. 

Graham and Trzcienski are currently the number one team in the ACL, and Jamie is first in Pro Singles standings with four events to go.