DALLAS – The Memphis Tigers took a break from their preparations for the 84th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on Monday afternoon to visit patients and their families at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas.
The visit began with a welcoming from Texas Scottish Rite Hospital President and Chief Executive Officer, Robert L. Walker, who briefed the team about the pediatric orthopedic hospital. Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield then presented honorary captain Rocky Smith with a custom Memphis Tigers jersey.
The team then walked over to the atrium where Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic Chairman Carl Ice presented the hospital with a special $10,000 check on behalf of Goodyear. Scottish Rite patient Cadence Nelson gave Coach Silverfield a Cotton Bowl-themed artwork that she created.
After the presentation, the players and coaches spent some time with patients, playing an assortment of games, coloring, and signing autographs. Silverfield said that the hospital visit provided his team with an opportunity to put things into perspective and live out their core values.
"This means more to us than we could ever give them. The pillars of our program are service, sacrifice and respect. This is a small piece of service that we can give to them." Silverfield said. "These patients put a smile on our faces and we know how lucky we are, so to put a smile on their faces and brighten their day means everything for everyone involved."
Memphis linebacker Austin Hall echoed Silverfield's sentiments and visited some patients in their rooms. The senior captain enjoyed the break from football and getting to make an impact on the patients.
"We are so fortunate to be able to come here and talk to the patients and brighten their day," Hall said. "Hanging with some kids who may not have the physical ability to do what we do every day is really special for us."
The visit to one of the best orthopedic surgery centers in the nation struck a chord with Memphis offensive lineman Dustin Woodard due to the physical nature of the game of football and the injuries that can come from playing the sport.
"I have suffered some injuries from football and have been in the hospital for them and we see guys go down all the time," Woodard said. "These kids are kind of in the same situation so seeing them and brightening their day is very special for us."
Each patient received a Cotton Bowl goodie bag filled with items representing the big game, courtesy of American Airlines. The bag included an 84th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic t-shirt and poster provided by the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association. Goodyear provided teddy bears, water bottles and footballs. Memphis gave t-shirts, posters and pom poms. Refreshments were provided by Dr Pepper.
The Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic celebrates its 84th anniversary on Saturday, Dec. 28. Live coverage on ESPN is set for 11 a.m. CST with kickoff slated for 11:05 a.m.
