Victory Day: McNeese players create field of smiles for special needs fans

Storms that delayed the start of Victory Day at McNeese didn’t put a damper on the smiles the Cowboys created.

For the third straight year the McNeese State football team hosted a group of area kids with special needs as part of their preseason rituals.

Children who would never otherwise get a chance to play in Cowboy Stadium and score a touchdown were given the opportunity by the Cowboys Wednesday despite late-afternoon thunderstorms.

McNeese head football coach Gary Goff brought the event with him to campus when he arrived in Lake Charles. It is something that he has done at his previous stops.

“It is something we like to do to give back to the community,” said Goff. “It’s become something we look forward to doing.”

McNeese players and coaches worked with kids who were just happy to get a chance to play with the big guys.

Reed Boyd, a sophomore tight end from Barbe High School, said the players get just as much out of the day.

“It is great to see the smiles on the faces of these kids,” Boyd said. “It shows us just how blessed we are to be able to play football.”

The event was pushed back an hour because of rain, but kids still got to run with the players, score touchdowns, and dance with the cheerleaders and kickers. They also heard their names over the loudspeakers when introduced while background music blared.

“This is very simple for us to do,” said Goff. “We are just being a part of the community and giving back what we can.” And nobody seemed to mind the wait.