The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Texas players greeted by special visitors
10.24.2012 | Football
Oct. 24, 2012
Alex Hubbard, Texas Media Relations
Tori Bourland could not wait to visit the University of Texas campus. When she found out about the annual gathering of Texas Longhorn football players and patients from a local children's hospital, the first thing Tori asked was, "How many football players [will] be there?"
Tori was among a group of children and families from Dell Children's Medical Center who got the chance to visit with the Texas football team on Friday afternoon. The visiting children were bright-eyed and all smiles, and some even ran into the players' lounge at the Moncrief Athletic Complex so they could be first in line to greet their favorite Longhorn. The players, a few of whom had interacted with some of the families from past visits to the hospital on Fridays during the season, matched the excitement level of their guests.
"You see these big, tough football players on the field, but when they get around these kids, they appreciate everything they have and it just puts a big smile on the kids' faces," said Marcella Maxwell, the coordinator for the Child Life Department at Dell.
This is the fifth year a group from the hospital has visited the football facility. Maxwell helps organize this event as well as the player visits to the hospital on Fridays before home games. She says this is a great experience for the kids to see some of their favorite athletes off the field.
"It's a really big deal. It's a chance for the kids to be able to meet the guys and come down here for a special visit," said Maxwell.
Later in the afternoon, the players took the group through the tunnel out onto the field inside Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, where the kids played catch and got some football tips from sophomore wide receiver Jaxon Shipley and senior running back D.J. Monroe among others.
Shipley summed up the spirit of the event.
"It's real special for us to give back, because we have been blessed so much," Shipley said. "It's a lot of fun to take pictures with these kids and sign their stuff and just have fun with them.
"Everybody here right now just feels a special sense of that they are doing something that is good for themselves and good for everybody else. You feel good when you can come and give back to these kids. It just makes me and all these other guys feel really good."
Winter Bourland, Tori's older sister, is a big Texas fan, and even got the chance to race Monroe on the field.
"This is where I want to go to college. And it's just really cool that they do this for the kids that are in the hospital," said Winter.
All of the players stressed how important and rewarding this event is to them. Monroe, who is one of the players that visits the hospital each Friday, said interacting with the children and families is as special for him as any touchdown he will score in a Longhorn uniform.
"This means a lot, all these kids here to see us. It means a lot to the guys," Monroe said. "We come here, and we are just overwhelmed by how much the kids watch us and how well they know us. This is just great today."
"It's just something I like to do," Monroe added. "These kids need some encouragement, need someone to lift them up when things are going bad. As you can see, there's a lot of kids in here. It's a wonderful experience. I like it. I know the guys like it."
Francela Jones, who came to the event with her grandson William, admired how thoughtful and genuine her interactions with the players were.
"I visited with David [Ash] and he said they really look forward to doing this, and that they really get more from doing this than they give," said Jones. "They have been really good for kids with special abilities, and I just think it's really good of the [players] to do this."
The day ended with a group picture at midfield including all of the players and children in attendance. A few of the kids helped teach everybody the correct "Hook `em" sign to make sure the picture was just perfect. After the picture, the children, all in unison, wished the players a loud "good luck" that echoed throughout the stadium.
