Lester’s friend and former Gamecock teammate, Beaufort attorney Jim Moss, calls him one of the finest family-court practitioners in the Southeast. He is a faculty member at the National Family Law Trial Institute in Houston and has been a board member of several legal organizations, including the S.C. Trial Lawyers Association. Lester is a partner in the Columbia-based firm Lester & Hendrix, which has offices in Myrtle Beach and Beaufort. He is a native of Florence and lives in Irmo. He also owns two villas on Fripp Island and first fell in love with the area’s natural beauty when he worked at Moss’ firm in the early 1980s.

That job came about as Lester sought an avenue back into the profession after a three-year sabbatical, during which he launched a chain of fitness clubs with his wife, Nell, and traveled the country playing elite-level handball. Through the years, Lester has appeared in seven national handball tournaments, won several events around the Southeast and competed against Olympians. And it was Moss who introduced him to the sport.

His football days behind him, Lester had packed on the pounds while in law school and decided to trim down. He went to the YMCA in Columbia one afternoon hoping to find a pick-up basketball game. Instead, he bumped into Moss, who challenged him to a game of handball. Lester had never played before, so Moss spotted him 20 points and proposed a bet — the loser would buy the winner a steak sandwich at the restaurant across the street. Final score: Moss 21, Lester 20. “I think I had a hamburger because the steak sandwich was $1.25, and I didn’t have enough money to buy one for myself, too,” Lester recalled. “I handed Jim that sandwich and told him to give me two weeks and he’d never beat me again.”

Actually, it was three weeks before the rematch — Lester needed the additional time to let his bruised hand heal. In the interim, he got lessons and discovered that his ambidexterity gave him a competitive advantage. And Moss concedes he never beat Lester in handball again. Lester said athletics have been a boon to his legal career. They afforded him name recognition it across South Carolina as his career was beginning. They led to fruitful relationships with former teammates like Moss. But perhaps the greatest benefit comes during his initial consultation with clients, when he points out how the court process mirrors an athlete’s preparation. Lester explains that he got his mind in shape by going to law school. He awakens at 5 a.m. and starts each day with an hour-and-a-half workout, so he can withstand the physical rigors of trials that stretch a week or more. He learns all he can about the opponent and develops a game plan.

“Then, it’s like game time. You go into the courtroom,” Lester said. “Does the game plan always work? No. However, that preparation increases your odds, and I find that when I explain that, it really resonates with people.” Of course, if that doesn’t convince them, he can point to an old black-and-white photo displayed in his office. In it, a battle-weary Gamecock football player, soaked from exertion, jogs off the field at Carolina Stadium. The player holds his helmet in his hand, exposing his face. He wears uniform No. 88 … and a beard.