Excitement continues to build as we are now just 3 days away from the biggest football game of the year. But for one small town in Georgia, the excitement is growing even stronger as they prepare to see a dream come alive for one of their own. NBC 26 Today’s Barclay Bishop recently visited the rural town of Wrens, to see why the name “Fernando Velasco” puts a smile on everyone’s face.
Just a kid from Wrens. If you ask Carolina Panthers Center, Fernando Velasco, who he is – that’s likely his response. But ask those in his hometown of Wrens, Georgia located in Jefferson County … and he’s much more.
“Fernando is humble. He is a hard worker. He gets the big picture of life, that life is about helping others and giving back to others,” said Stacey Arnold, Fernando Velasco’s former assistant principal at Wrens Middle School.
Sunday, Fernando and his team will be giving the Denver Broncos a run for their money, playing in Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s Stadium. A stadium that seats nearly 4 times as many people than even live in the county where he first learned the game of football.
“Already there are nights that I can’t sleep thinking about him being at the Super Bowl. I mean how big does it get? That’s the epitome of what every football player wants,” said Ellen Farmer, Fernando Velasco’s former counselor at Jefferson County High School.
Many would say Fernando’s spirt of giving is the epitome of what every football player should want.
“We’re so proud of Fernando. We love him, and appreciate what he does here in our city. Every time he visits our home he makes an impact,” said Thrifty.
Several years ago, Fernando and his wife Tieashia, started the RIGHT C.H.O.I.C.E.S Foundation. A program that’s help provide everything from free football and cheerleading camps, to literacy and food drives. He’s even taken young men on weekend getaways that include motivational speakers, SAT preps and something as simple as learning how to tie a tie.
“I think it’s very encouraging for our citizens, for our students and for our young people,” said Thrifty.
Giving back is what the staff and students at Wrens Middle School tried to do – using 87 8th grade bodies to spell out “Go Panthers”.
“It was not easy. We compared it to herding cats and then asking cats to stay in place once you got them there,” said Jacqueline Peebles, Instructional Teacher at Wrens Middle School.
An hour and a half later…mission accomplished. Fernando even making it his Facebook cover photo.
“We often hear his quote of you know ‘He’s just a kid from Wrens, well we were just at one time some kids from Wrens, we’re some teachers from Wrens, and we got our kids from Wrens to do a little something for him,” said Peebles.
Just a kid from Wrens…now turning into a hometown hero. Not because of what he’s doing ON the field, but because of what he’s doing OFF of it.
“We’re honored to know him. I don’t know that we’ve helped him any more than he’s helped us,” said Arnold.
“He has a testimony. And so we’re able to tell kids, if Fernando can do it then you can do it,” said Farmer.
Fernando says he’s flying in about 15 family members and friends to San Francisco so they can be part of the big day.
To learn more about his Right C.H.O.I.C.E.S Foundation – head to RightChoicesFoundation.org
