Grapevine Faith Christian football coach Kris Hogan did something unusual in November by asking his team's fans to cheer for an opposing team. The coach's kindness resulted in something else unusual: an invitation from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to attend the Super Bowl.
Hogan was scheduled to leave today for Tampa, Fla., where he will meet with Goodell and attend Sunday's game. He will also spend time later today at the Super Bowl's "radio row," where radio stations want to talk to him about Grapevine Faith's Nov. 7 game against Gainesville State School, a juvenile correctional facility.
Before the game, Hogan e-mailed parents of his players and asked some of them to sit in the stands on Gainesville State's side of the field and cheer for Grapevine Faith's opponent. He also asked the parents to create a spirit line for the opposing players, who normally have no fans to cheer for them, to run through before the game. Hogan even had copies of the Gainesville State roster distributed to fans so they could cheer for the players by name.
The story attracted national attention, which Hogan said surprised him.
"We never intended for this to go outside our fences," he said Tuesday. "It kind of saddens me that it got so much attention. We should all be used to people taking advantage of an opportunity to help another human life."
Hogan was scheduled to leave today for Tampa, Fla., where he will meet with Goodell and attend Sunday's game. He will also spend time later today at the Super Bowl's "radio row," where radio stations want to talk to him about Grapevine Faith's Nov. 7 game against Gainesville State School, a juvenile correctional facility.
Before the game, Hogan e-mailed parents of his players and asked some of them to sit in the stands on Gainesville State's side of the field and cheer for Grapevine Faith's opponent. He also asked the parents to create a spirit line for the opposing players, who normally have no fans to cheer for them, to run through before the game. Hogan even had copies of the Gainesville State roster distributed to fans so they could cheer for the players by name.
The story attracted national attention, which Hogan said surprised him.
"We never intended for this to go outside our fences," he said Tuesday. "It kind of saddens me that it got so much attention. We should all be used to people taking advantage of an opportunity to help another human life."
