A Truly Unusual Football Story
I have been waiting for the right idea or the right story to step out into MMA in my different persona for a while now. I finally found one thanks to a good friend who forwarded this to me via e mail. I do not know who wrote this up initially since it actually occurred in 2008 and in fact most of you may already know about. Even if you do, this is worth revisiting in this day of negativity and disrespect of others. Whatever you do be sure to click on the link and watch the video at the end of the story.
There was an unusual high school football game played in Grapevine, Texas . The game was between Grapevine Faith Academy and the Gainesville State School . Faith is a Christian school and Gainesville State School is located within a maximum security correction facility.
Gainesville State School has 14 players. They play every game on the road. Their record was 0-8. They’ve only scored twice. Their 14 players are teenagers who have been convicted of crimes ranging from drugs to assault to robbery. Most had families who had disowned them. They wore outdated, used shoulder pads and helmets. Faith Academy was 7-2. They had 70 players, 11 coaches, and the latest equipment.
Chris Hogan, the head coach at Faith Academy , knew the Gainesville team would have no fans and it would be no contest, so he thought, “What if half of our fans and half of our cheerleaders, for one night only, cheered for the other team?” He sent out an email to the faithful asking them to do just that. “Here’s the message I want you to send,” Hogan wrote. “You’re just as valuable as any other person on the planet.”
Some folks were confused and thought he was nuts. One player said, “Coach, why are we doing this?” Hogan said, “Imagine you don’t have a home life, no one to love you, no one pulling for you. Imagine that everyone pretty much had given up on you. Now, imagine what it would feel like and mean to you for hundreds of people to suddenly believe in you.”
The idea took root. On the night of the game, imagine the surprise of those 14 players when they took the field and there was a banner the cheerleaders had made for them to crash through. The visitors’ stands were full. The cheerleaders were leading cheers for them. The fans were calling them by their names. Isaiah, the quarterback-middle linebacker said, “I never in my life thought I would hear parents cheering to tackle and hit their kid. Most of the time, when we come out, people are afraid of us. You can see it in their eyes, but these people are yelling for us. They knew our names.”
Faith won the game, and after the game the teams gathered at the 50-yard line to pray. That’s when Isaiah, the teenage convict-quarterback surprised everybody and asked if he could pray. he prayed, “Lord, I don’t know what just happened so I don’t know how or who to say thank you to, but I never knew there were so many people in the world who cared about us.” On the way back to the bus, under guard, each one of the players was handed a burger, fries, a coke, candy, a Bible, and an encouraging letter from the players from Faith Academy
Gainesville State vs Faith Academy
I want to thank you for this information. Love this full story and your writing as well. Hope to visit your blog from today.
A beautiful story, one of compassion and humanity. Thanks for sharing.
You are welcome GL. I am just a sucker for a story about kids.
Wonderful story. Great video. This is proof that Christianity, and religion, can be an agent for good. When religion seeks inclusions, that is always a good thing. It’s when it is in an exclusionary mode that it runs afoul.
Lawyer the people I know that truly good religious people tend to do things like this a lot. But we never hear much from those few.
Lawyer the people I know that truly good Christians tend to do things like this a lot. But we never hear much from those few.
WAF – glad no camera’s on me, I’m misty and choked up.Doesn’t take much these days Lazer mi amigo!
I’d heard reference to this story,no detail but it was a fun and nice read. Thanks man.
Oso, you and I are alike. The story really touched me, but when I watched the video I think I got something in both eyes.
I am with Holte on this one Bill. This was a wonderful read, but like he said sad that it has to be so “unusual.”
Mike, hopefully there are pockets of these people out there everywhere and maybe they will rise to the top one day.
Nice one WAF, wish it wasn’t “truly unusual” sadly it is.
Good point Holte. At least there are a few out there who try to “walk the walk.”
Well there ya go. A story with Christians not being jerks. Very cool. And touching. Thanks
Yeah I know. Actually I do know a few of them who aren’t jerks. I just wish they could control the rest.