HOUSTON, Texas (KXXV) — Families from DePelchin Children's Center filled NRG Stadium on Monday, as they ran football drills with both Baylor and LSU.
"My group had the relay race and there were some some future Isaiah Hankins in that group," said Baylor sophomore, Michael Allen.
"We had a kicker at the end of it, so that was pretty cool."
It's community events like these Baylor continues to push for.
"All of us — we were those kids back in the day," Allen said.
"Just the opportunity — we've all been very blessed to be in the position we're at now."
The players are getting in on the drills! #SicEm #Texas Bowl pic.twitter.com/nta5MOw06C
— Shahji Adam (@ShahjiAdam) December 30, 2024
"To have that be something that's real passionate for the guys, and then to have this opportunity because you want some games, and you have the opportunity to do this — it's pretty cool," said Baylor head coach, Dave Aranda.
Allen loves being in the neighborhood, and working with the kids line up with dream to become a coach one day.
"Growing up — my uncle coached professionally, so I always looked up to him," he said.
"Football has always been a big part of my life, and I actually came here with the intentions of going into coaching, so I wanted to learn under Coach Aranda."
"We meet in the morning staff-wise — we'll meet after practice in the morning, and he's in all of those meetings," Aranda said.
"I appreciate his work ethic and his care factor."
All week, Baylor and LSU have hosted pregame events — there are a lot of Baylor players that never got to experience this, and they are making the most of it.
"Chateau Reed was on our team back in 2021 and then and then 2022 as well," Aranda said.
"We didn't have events like this, and some of that was with COVID and everything else, and so I just think he goes — 'Hey, this is what you do on a bowl' — and he was just having a fun time."
"It's a great time — we haven't been to a bowl game since 2022, so the Texas bowl has done a great job of keeping us entertained," Allen said.
"We had like a rodeo the other night and some other team activities."
Baylor takes on LSU on Tuesday, December 31 at 2:30 p.m.
