DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys held their annual kickoff luncheon Wednesday at AT&T Stadium with all proceeds going towards the Dallas Cowboys Courage House at Happy Hill Farm.
"It is our best day of the year," said chief executive brand officer Charlotte Jones Anderson. "We get a chance to meet great people like this who are inspirations to all of us, for our team to be introduced, and also for us to really to show the importance of actually what we do, and that's to be able to help people like Happy Hill Farm, and help them do what they do best, which is encourage kids to be the best that they can be."
The Courage House is a boy's residence on The Fam and it is part of a national network of homes associated with the NFL. Each year, the Ed Block Courage Award honors NFL players who show great sportsmanship on the field and also serve as a role model for others.
Linebacker Jaylon Smith was voted by his teammates as the Ed Block Courage Award winner for overcoming a knee injury that ended his college career, aborted his rookie year, and almost compromised his pro football career. Smith made his debut for the Cowboys last season, overcoming such obstacles.
His message to the boys at the Courage House is simple.
Said Smith: "To have a clear eye view, to have a focused vision, and determined belief. You can accomplish anything you put your mind to. It's about having that philosophy put in place."
For All-Pro guard Zack Martin, he looks forward to the annual event because it is another chance for Cowboys players to give back to the community that supports them so much.
"The Cowboys do such a great job of being involved in the community and giving back," said Martin. "I think the guys on the team, we're not only passionate about football, but about the community and how much we support them. So, it's great when we can give back to them."
The association between the Cowboys and Happy Hill Farm are almost as rudimentary as the Jones family's ownership of the franchise. Former Cowboys defensive lineman Tony Casillas, who played in Dallas from 199-93 and also 1996-97, remembers such luncheons fondly.
"I'm going back in time, but I remember the first luncheon I went to with Happy Hill in conjunction with the Dallas Cowboys. It was all about these kids because everyone needs an opportunity," Casillas said. "You look around and you see these beautiful faces, these football players and these students. This is a story that this is what all this work is done for and all the people that volunteer to see these faces.
"They've got a game tomorrow night. So, they get a chance to be able to experience a lot of things, a lot of things that maybe three or four years ago or maybe 10 years ago kids wouldn't be able to experience. That's what it's all about."
Happy Hill Farm operates a boarding school called North Central Texas Academy and it, "identifies children with high potential, from low opportunity situations, and surrounds them with a diverse student body" according to their website.
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