Five years has made a world of difference for Max McGee, who made his debut on Sunday as one of the newest SportsCenter anchors.

McGee told Rolling Out he was working as a server five years ago, but he knew he was destined for something better.

"I knew it was going to be a long-term plan," McGee said. "I didn't know that I was going to be at ESPN in five and a half, six years. There was no way I had that in my plan, but I knew I would be somewhere as long as I put the work in every day."

McGee took the path of many SC anchors, cutting his teeth in small markets, racking up plenty of job rejection emails in the process. His story, which he opened up on social media prior to Sunday, has inspired many.

He said when it comes to getting to ESPN, his best advice to those looking to follow in his footsteps is to keep the faith.

"You have to be determined to say, 'I don't care what's in my path, I know, it's going to be hard,'" he said. "In order to get to ESPN or figure out your goals, odds are, it's not going to be easy."