Grapevine coach tells inspirational story of prison football game

Kris Hogan and wife Amy. Paul's Photo Before a packed church on Sunday night February 22 Coach Kris Hogan from Faith Christian School in Grapevine spoke about the acclaim he has received from the football game on November 8, 2008 between his team and a team of young men from the Gainesville prison. Because of the publicity of the game Coach Hogan has appeared on NFL live, ESPN, ESPN radio, The 700 Club, and many foreign TV and radio networks. He and his wife attended the Super Bowl in Miami as guest of the NFL Commissioner Roger Goodel.

Coach Hogan is the head football coach and athletic director of Faith Christian School in Grapevine which has an enrollment of 250. When Hogan noticed his team was playing the youth prison team from Gainesville he realized that team never has anyone in the stands cheering them on. Hogan called the coach of the prison team and asked if it would be all right for half of his fans to sit on the visitor side and cheer the Gainesville team. The opposing coach said that would be good because they always played away games and no one was there to encourage his team.

Hogan sent out an e-mail to his supporters and asked if half of them would sit on the visitor side and cheer and encourage the young men by name. The fourteen players arrived on a bus with twelve guards as escorts. Just before kickoff about 300 fans began filling the visitors' bleachers. They had prepared a banner for the Gainesville players to burst thru just prior to kickoff. The players were not aware of the fans on their side until they burst thru the banner amidst the cheers of 300 supporters.

The Gainesville team had lost every game and had scored two touchdowns all year. They lost this game 33- 13 but after the game they were invited to join the Faith Christian School players in the middle of the field for prayer. Coach Hogan asked a first grader to lead in prayer and a player from Gainesville asked if he could say a prayer. Hogan said of course. The player said he had never had anyone cheer him for anything he had ever done and he thanked the fans. Not a dry eye was seen anywhere. A Fort Worth Star Telegram reporter printed the story and it got national news coverage and then coverage from several foreign countries.

Coach Hogan has been flooded with e-mails and invitations to speak at various churches, schools, and business organizations.

A feel good true story among all the bad things we hear each day.