Poteet HS Pirates support police with stickers
MESQUITE, TX - Poteet High School’s football team wanted to show support for some people that have been having a rough time lately, so they put stickers on their helmets.
While that may seem like a small gesture, it meant the world to some people who have been mentoring them over the years.
On Friday, Coach Kody Groves got his team to put Mesquite Police Department stickers on all of their helmets.
"Our kids really are appreciative and I think most people really are,” said Groves. “You know, there's a few bad things that go on; they ruin it for everybody, but we want to really, really want to show support for the police officers and the role they have."
Every game day, Coach Groves says the Poteet High School resource officers mentor his players and are there for them year-round.
Mesquite Police Officer Josh Troquille is one of them.
"I was honored that they would want to have our badge on the back of their helmet to represent us that way,” said Troquille.
He says he had no idea the students he mentors were going to make such a powerful public statement.
"The looks on their face whenever they had the stickers were put on, they were looking over and kind of giving me the high five, and I told many of them, ‘You know, you'd look good in a badge,’” said Troquille.
Football player Charkarrious Corbin says what he's already learned from Officer Troquille will help him off the field.
"Like if they pull us over, we all know that they're doing good for…they're trying to help us and keep us alive, so we should do the same for them,” said Corbin.
"It's a big thing because when we go out there, everybody sees it, and you know it just reminds everyone what they do for us,” said football player Noah Ingram.
The district says they've done similar things like this in the past, such as for breast cancer awareness, but this is the first time anyone can remember doing it for an organization like the Mesquite Police Department.
Many of the people FOX 4 spoke to on Monday say they hope this catches on in other districts across the country.