����vlog

EVERY FALL, IOWANS ARE ON THE GO. FARMERS GET BUSY WITH HARVEST, TRAVELERS SOAK IN THE BEAUTY OF OUR STATE WITH A ROAD TRIP - AND TAILGATES POP UP EVERY WEEKEND. BUT THERE'S ONE NIGHT THAT'S SPECIAL. WHEN 60 KIDS WHO COULD USE SOME JOY IN THEIR LIFE FIND IT IN THE END ZONE. IOWA HIGH SCHOOLS USUALLY HAVE DIBS ON FRIDAY NIGHTS. <METAL CLANKING.> BUT ONCE EVERY FALL? IOWA STATE'S MARCHING BAND GETS PUMPED - <45 POUNDS.> FOR THE EXCEPTION. THE PARTY OF THE YEAR. <I GET TO DANCE TOO. AND PLAY REALLY LOUD.> WHEN THE GUESTS OF HONOR-- <KID FOOTSTEPS.> ARE EXCITED BEFORE EVEN STEPPING INSIDE. <YEAH, I AM, GUYS.> KIDS LIKE HOLLIS -- <(TO BAND) HOW ARE YOU GUYS?> WHO MAKE FAST FRIENDS. <(COVER?) I'M GOING TO HAVE FUN!> BY THE TIME HE TRIED ON HIS NEW JERSEY? <(JERSEY ON) ALRIGHT, BUDDY. WOAH! (03) IT WAS GAME ON (04) HEY, LOOK AT ME! YOU LOOK SO COOL. HEY, HI.> NEW BUDDIES FILLED THE CYCLONE'S FOOTBALL FACILITY. THEN-- <BRADY COLLINS. YEAH, SO GO OVER THERE.> HOLLIS' FOUND THE GUY HE'D BEEN SEARCHING FOR. <THIS IS OUR GUY! CAN YOU SAY HI TO HIM? ASK HIM WHAT HIS NAME IS. WHAT'S YOUR NAME? DOMINIC. ARE YOU MY FOOTBALL PLAYER? YEAH, WE BETTER GO TO THE LOCKER ROOM.> THEY DIDN'T EVEN GET THERE-- <HEY, LOOK AT ALL OF THIS STUFF!> (FOOD) BEFORE THE WOWS STARTED. THE GAME ROOM BLEW HIS MIND. <SO I GET TO PLAY IN HERE TODAY? ABSOLUTELY! YAY! THANK YOU!> AND THEN HE SPOTTED THE LOCKER ROOM'S BIG SCREENS AND TROPHIES. <WOAH. THIS IS SO COOL.> A PERSONALIZED TOUR FROM HIS PLAYER - NUMBER 35 - WHO JUST MET HOLLIS. BUT LOVES THAT HE'S HERE. <SO PERSONALLY, I HAVE A COUSIN WHO HAS CEREBAL PALSEY AND JUST HE'S ONE OF MY "WHYS". WHY I PLAY THE GAME OF FOOTBALL.> <IT'S ALL FOR THE KIDS. IT'S ALL FOR THE KIDS.> VISITORS RARELY GET THIS MUCH ACCESS. <THERE YOU GO. YOU'VE GOTTA GET IT IN THERE.> LET ALONE THE FREE REIGN TO PLAY-- <NICE!> IN ONE OF THE FANCIEST LOCKER ROOMS IN THE MIDWEST. <IT'S FUN JUST SEEING THE SMILES ON THE KIDS' FACES.> WHICH THEIR PARENTS WILL TELL IS A DREAM COME TRUE. <OFTEN, OUR KIDS ARE LEFT OUT AND SO FOR THEM TO HAVE THIS SPECIAL EVENT FOR THEM, THAT MOST KIDS DON'T GET TO DO, IS REALLY FUN TO SEE.> <WE KNOW, DEEP DOWN, THAT IT MEANS EVERYTHING TO THEM. SO THE EXPERIENCE A WHOLE, IT'S JUST SO - IT'S UNLIKE ANYTHING YOU'D EVER EXPERIENCE. IT'S JUST SO GREAT.> FROM POP A SHOT TO FOOSBALL AND AIR HOCKEY, IT WAS ALL FAIR GAME. <THERE YOU GO. LAUGH.> EVEN TRYING ON GAMEDAY HELMETS. AND THEN TRYING TO GET THEM OFF. <ARGH!> BEFORE COACH SHOWED UP-- <THERE YOU GO.> AND MADE EVERY KID FEEL LIKE THEY WERE THE MOST VALUABLE PERSON IN THE ROOM. <IS HE A GOOD GUY? YEP. HE'S MY FAVORITE PLAYER. HE'S YOUR FAVORITE PLAYER? HE'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLAYERS TOO.> BEFORE DELIVERING THE NEWS. <(OFF CAM) PARENTS, YOU CAN BE ANYWHERE ON THE FIELD. IT'S YOUR NIGHT AS MUCH AS ANYBODY'S AS WELL.> THE MAIN EVENT--- <HERE WE GO!> WAS STILL TO COME. <MATTHIAS FIZER.> BECAUSE JUST LIKE THE CYCLONES ON GAME DAY - <CHEER.> EVERY KID RAN ONTO JACK TRICE'S TURF THROUGH A TUNNEL-- <CHEERING! - KEEP FOLLOWING> FORMED BY THE ENTIRE BAND, THE SPIRIT SQUAD AND STRANGERS WHO WANTED TO SEE THIS JOY UP CLOSE. HIGH- FIVING THE KIDS WHO WERE BEING CARRIED, SLOWLY WALKING OR SPRINTING AS FAST AS THEIR LITTLE LEGS WOULD ALLOW. <YEAH!> <IT WAS JUST A REALLY SPECIAL MOMENT.> <TACKLE IT. COME ON. TACKLE IT.> BY THE TIME THEY REACHED THE END ZONE, TACKLING DUMMIES DIDN'T STAND A CHANCE. <WOAH! LAUGHING.> BUT A DUMMY WAS NOTHING-- <(COVER) ?? JOHNSON CHECKS INTO THE GAME FOR THE CYCLONES.> COMPARED TO THE HUDDLE AT THE TEN YARD LINE. <NOW LISTEN, THIS IS MIA AND SHE WANTS TO GO LEFT.> WHERE THE CYCLONE STARTERS CALLED MIA'S PLAY-- <PINKY RIGHT, 10 SMACK. READY ON THREE. 1, 2, 3. CLAP.> AND THEN QUARTERBACK ROCCO BECHT HANDED HER THE BALL. <GO GO GO GO! SHE'S GOING UP THE GUT! (VIDEO CONTINUES OVER...> SURROUNDED BY A COMBINED TON OF BLOCKERS AND TACKLERS, MIA SPRINTED AS FAST AS HER LEGS WOULD ALLOW - HEADING FOR THE CORNER OF THE END ZONE. AND WHEN SHE GOT THERE... <CHEER!> HIGH FIVES WERE JUST THE START OF THE CELEBRATION. WHEN SHE SPIKED IT, THOSE PLAYERS TOPPLED LIKE BOWLING PINS <PLAYERS FALLING.> TRIGGERING THE CYCLONE MARCHING BAND-- <BAND SONG.> AND SPIRIT SQUAD TO LET LOOSE. ALL OF IT FOR MIA - WHO COULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED. (CLIP 7130 AT 18.27.23) BEFORE BEN-- <SO WHAT'S YOUR TOUCHDOWN DANCE GOING TO BE? LIKE THIS. OH YEAH. YOU'RE GOING TO HIT IT LIKE THAT? LAUGH.> GOT HIS TURN IN THE HUDDLE. <CAN WE DO OUR SUPERSTAR PLAY? UH HUH. WE'RE GOING TO GO SUPERSTAR RIGHT. OK, SUPERSTAR RIGHT. YEAH. 60 TOUCHDOWN ON ONE, RIGHT? UH HUH. READY, BREAK.> (TD AT 1.22) WEARING HIS HEADPHONES, BEN GOT THE BALL, GRABBED FOR HIS HUGE, NEW FRIEND'S HAND AND RAN RIGHT UP THE MIDDLE, TRIGGERING ANOTHER MIDFIELD CELEBRATION. <TOUCHDOWN CYCLONES!> JUST LIKE THEY DID FOR BOYS WHO SCORED WHILE PLUGGING THEIR EARS-- <QUICK NAT.> AND GIRLS WHO TOOK IT TO THE HOUSE IN WHEELCHAIRS. <CHEER. THEN SPIKE. AT .36 HIGH FIVES AT .39> EVERY TIME, CAMERAS ROLLED AS PARENTS SOAKED UP THE LOVE BEING SHOWN TO THEIR SUPERSTAR. WHILE HOLLIS MADE FRIENDS WITH THE CHEERLEADERS (CLIP 7125 AT18.21.50) UNTIL COACH CAMPBELL CALLED HIM. <ALRIGHT, HOLLIS. ARE YOU READY? DO YOU WANT TO RUN IT? YEAH, LET'S GO. ARE YOU READY TO GO? ALRIGHT.> RATTLED OFF HIS PLAY-- <DIXIE RIGHT, STRAWBERRY SUNDAE LEFT ON ONE ON ONE. READY. CLAP.> AND LET THE MAGIC UNFOLD AGAIN. WEARING A BOOT OVER HIS BROKEN FOOT, THE JOHNSTON KID WHO'D BEEN WAITING FOR WHAT FELT LIKE AN ETERNITY FOR HIS SHOT SPRINTED RIGHT AND FOUND HIMSELF IN THE CORNER OF THE END ZONE, SPIKING THE BALL, SURROUNDED WITH THE JOY ALL THOSE OTHER KIDS HAD EXPERIENCED. <SQUEAL. YEAH! OK. NOW IT'S TIME TO GO HOME. (AND BUTTERING UP TO THOSE CHEERLEADERS) THAT WAS A LONG TIME. (51) > WHO FELT HOLLIS' LOVE. <THAT WAS FUN. THANK YOU GUYS! THANK YOU, MAN. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO COME HERE. ABSOLUTELY.> BIG-TIME COLLEGE FOOTBALL DOMINATES AN ATHLETES LIFE. <WAKING UP AT 6 O'CLOCK AND NOT GETTING OUT OF HERE UNTIL 9. IT'S A COMMITMENT.> WHICH IS WHY EVERY DAD HERE KNOWS THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO MAKE TIME FOR THESE KIDS THEY'VE NEVER MET. <WELL THEY'RE MAKING A CONNECTION AND THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR KIDS LIKE THIS. TO HAVE THAT CONNECTION WITH PEOPLE THEY DON'T KNOW, TO SEE THEM EMBRACING THEM IN ALL OF THEIR CHALLENGES.