DALLAS – Head coach Kevin Sumlin and the entire Texas A&M Aggie squad, visited the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital Monday afternoon as part of the activities surrounding the 77th annual AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic.
Texas Scottish Rite President and graduate of Texas A&M, Bob Walker welcomed the ninth-ranked Aggies to the hospital’s atrium, where the team interacted with patients and their family members.
11-year old Eva Trujillo along with Walker presented a framed drawing to Coach Sumlin. Trujillo was the winner of the art contest that Texas Scottish Rite runs each year in conjunction with the AT&T Cotton Bowl.
“I want to thank Texas Scottish Rite for having us,” stated Sumlin. “We are excited to be back at the Cotton Bowl and in Dallas. I can’t tell you how much our players appreciate the opportunity to be here today. I am proud of this team for a lot of different things. First how they have played in the SEC, putting us back in the national conversation of being a top ranked team, but most of all, how this team has conducted themselves off the field and in the community and coming today to Scottish Rite Hospital.”
Members of the Aggies were happy to be involved in such a great event and ready to spread that joy to the children.
“Seeing the kids’ happy faces is awesome,” said senior DT Spencer Nealy. “Hearing the kids telling you thank you and the memories of today is something I am going to remember.”
The team exuberantly entered the atrium handing out beanies (woven hats) to each child, signed autographs on mini footballs provided by Texas Scottish Rite and posed for pictures. Sumlin, along with freshman Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel and the Aggie team captains, toured the hospital’s upstairs, meeting with patients individually in their rooms. Visiting Texas Scottish Rite and spreading happiness to the children was the biggest reward for the Aggie squad and one of the biggest highlights of the AT&T Cotton Bowl week.
“Making the kids happy is what it is all about,” said senior CB Dustin Harris. “Some people don’t get a chance to do many things in life, and these kids are a big blessing to our team because they are giving us back happiness. It brings out the inner-child in all of us, even Coach Sumlin.”
Story Courtesy of AT&T Cotton Bowl