Whether it’s helping at a food drive or signing autographs, it’s always nice to see athletes of all levels helping out in the community.
Not only do the athletes feel good about it, but so do the people they are helping.
A lot of those people, especially kids, look up to athletes and when they are doing something positive for other people in their community it sets a great example for those kids.
Helping out in the community shows people that they care about the city they live in.
The Idaho Vandal football team showed its heart Thursday when players gathered around the Idaho resident buildings to help students move into their dorms.
They could easily be spotted in their jerseys.
“That’s fun,” junior center Steven Matlock said. “We do that every year. We throw on our jerseys. We go out offer people help if they need it. Just being good guys and helping support the Vandal community.”
The players must have been a big help, especially those big offensive and defensive linemen who could probably take the load off of a kid who needs to carry in a 50-pound bag across 200 yards of asphalt.
But let’s not kid ourselves. Offering strangers for a helping hand can be tough to do.
Sophomore receiver David Ungerer said the process of helping strangers move in is a little weird.
“It’s my second year doing it and it’s a little awkward,” Ungerer said. “I’m not going to lie. It’s pretty awkward just new kids seeing us football players trying to help them move in but it’s a good experience. We get to learn a little bit about them and ask them if they’re going to be coming to our games supporting us so it’s nothing but a positive thing.”
Awkward or not, it’s a good thing that the football players help out students move into their dorms every year.
I could have used some help from the football guys when I moved into my room on campus last week. Depending on where you park, how heavy your luggage is and how much luggage you have, some trips to your room can be more difficult than other people’s trips.
The Vandals should keep up their hard work in the community. You never know. For its service to its community, Idaho could be rewarded with good karma on the football field.
Garrett Cabeza can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @CabezaGarrett