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| The
NFL in Angwin
by Lainey S. Cronk
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 It
was a glorious Friday afternoon in July. A group of teenage boys
were starting a game of football on Pacific Union College’s
football field. But who was that tall fellow playing quarterback?
The boys could tell you: it was Tony Gonzalez of the Kansas City
Chiefs.
Of course, it isn’t every week that these boys get to play
football with a pro NFL player. But last year’s visit from
Gonzalez and Warren Moon was such an all-around hit that they called
for a repeat performance this summer.
The teens came from New Horizons, a non-profit organization that
has three Angwin and Napa homes for teenage boys. Eighteen residents
from these homes gathered on the field Friday for their own private
football session with Gonzalez.
They started with a question and answer time, which ranged from
questions such as “How much money do you make?” to
real-life advice from Gonzalez. Some of the boys also had football
cards for Gonzalez to sign. After the Q&A, Gonzalez had the
boys run through warm up drills before dividing into teams and
playing some football.
New Horizons also has another connection with PUC: several college
students have worked as counselors in the New Horizons homes. Gabe
Bazell, a sophomore psychology major, was told that working with
these boys would give him valuable experience for his major and
career. “It definitely has!” he says.
But for the boys who gathered on the field on Friday, this was
simply a remarkable opportunity to spend some personal time with
a “big name” individual who was willing to also be
a role model and an inspiration.
Photo: New Horizons administrators Dennis Allen and
John Olaiz take a camera moment with Tony Gonzalez
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