Honoring everyday heroes on the field.
It’s the message behind a Dallas-based college bowl game honoring first responders and their families.
Hours before fans from Rice and Texas State filled Gerald J. Ford Stadium on the SMU campus, Christopher Nunnery admitted he was nervous.
"Of all the things that I have done throughout my life, being a military police officer and everything else, talking to generals and stuff like that, and being nervous about this is just crazy," Nunnery said. "Nervous and excited all in one."
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Nunnery was selected by the Military Warriors Support Foundation to receive a payment-free vehicle and be honored on the field for his service at the Servpro First Responder Bowl.
Ashley Clyne is with the nonprofit, which helps transition veterans to civilian life.
"Oh for me it’s beyond watching a game, for sure," Clyne said. "I hope that people walk away recognizing the sacrifices that multiple people in our communities have made in all lines of service.”
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Clyne says the vehicle donation of an electric vehicle for Nunnery is made possible by the nonprofit's sponsor Wells Fargo.
The bowl game, which started in 2010 in Dallas, has focused its last 10 years on recognizing first responders, whether active or retired military, police, fire and emergency services. The game was renamed "First Responder Bowl" in 2018.
As part of the theme of honoring "everyday heroes", the bowl game offers four free tickets to any first responder.
The 2023 edition of the game was the first between two Texas-based universities which expected to draw the largest attendance for the bowl game.
Nunnery, a father of three, says receiving a vehicle will help offset college expenses for his oldest child and will become the vehicle his other two kids learn to drive.
"This is going to just be an amazing thing for them," Nunnery said.
