Troup head football coach and athletic director Sam Wells and quarterback Grayson Hearon accept The Coach Danny Palmer East Texas Team Community Service Award  at the 17th Annual East Texas Kick-off Luncheon Tuesday at the W.T. Brookshire Conference Center.

While the football season officially begins in three weeks, the official kickoff was on Tuesday at the W.T. Brookshire Conference Center in Tyler.

Coaches, players and school officials gathered for the 17th Annual East Texas Kick-Off Luncheon to get the season underway.

It was a bittersweet day as Tyler Campbell, a member of the First Family of East Texas football, gave an uplifting message, but there was also pause as an emotional Bill Coates, emcee of the event, noted the passing of Kevin Vest, Tyler Junior College’s athletic director, earlier in the day.

Also, Troup High School was presented The Coach Danny Palmer East Texas Team Community Service Award. Cindy Smoak, executive director of SPORTyler, said for the first time another school nominated another school for the award.

Tiger head coach and athletic director Sam Wells, athlete Grayson Hearon, retired head coach John Eastman, superintendent Tammy Jones and principal Landon Trent accepted the award from Palmer and Dr. Jon-Michael Cline of Azalea Orthopedics.

The Tigers, as well as other schools in East Texas, helped raise funds for their teammate Cooper Reid, who suffered a brain injury during their homecoming in 2022.

“It is a tight knit community and this football team, under the guidance of their coaches and other school personnel, came together like no other time to rise to support this young man and his family,” Dr. Cline said. “The other sports programs, school organizations, and the town followed suit. It became a group effort. The school cancelled its Homecoming Dance and instead athletes and citizens gathered for a prayer vigil.”

He added, “Many other activities have been held for this athlete and his family as well — Hoops for Coop, Baseball/Softball hit-athon, FFA, Fishing, and Football moms raised donations for food, Candles for Coop (National Honor Society) and Golf Tournament with proceeds going to the Reid family.”

Campbell, whose father is the Tyler Rose himself Earl Campbell, is an entrepreneur, best-selling author and motivational speaker.

He shared about being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis during his junior year at San Diego State.

“Those of you who don’t know what multiple sclerosis is, it’s an autoimmune disease where lesions and plaques form on your brain and they inhibit your brain from sending messages to the rest of your body,” Campbell said. “Most people (diagnosed with MS) are confined to wheelchairs. I played college football with that disease because my teammates were depending on me and I wasn’t about to let them down.

“I was one of the first people to play Division I college football with multiple sclerosis. A Campbell never quits.”

Campbell, who is the father of three and another on the way, said he kept his diagnoses a secret from his coaches and teammates. His medication forced him to take his final exams left-handed. He advised the young people in the audience to open up to their coaches and the coaches to lend an ear.

He followed by saying to the young people, “Think about an acceptance speech before your congratulatory moments. When you think about a future acceptance speech you will ensure that you allign yourself according with the decisions you make as an adolescent — picking and choosing your friends, how about giving each day everything that you have to give, bring right for your mother, your father, your caretaker and honoring your relationships.

“Those acceptance speeches motivates you in your life — it makes your think about doing things accordingly and the right way.”

Congressman Nathaniel Moran and Tyler Mayor Don Warren were among the officials attending.

Megan Riaz, chair of SPORTyler, gave the welcome with Alan Metzel, athletic director and head coach of Gilmer High School, gave the invocation.

The Gilmer High School cheerleaders and drumline welcomed the guests.

Schools and representatives attending were:

All Saints: Head Coach Drew Starnes, assistant Athletic Director Gretchen Mercer, athlete Colten Mitcham;

Arp: Athletic Director/HC Wes Schminkey, superintendent Shannon Arrington, athlete Frank Smith;

Athens: head coach Zac Harrell, superintendent Dr. Janie Sims, athlete Gage Friedrich;

Big Sandy: AD/HC Brian Pullum, superintendent Mike Burns, athlete Al Johnson;

Bishop Gorman: AD Joseph Murray, HC Ed Burns, athlete Eli Mahfood;

Brook Hill: AD Wally Dawkins, HC Scott Ryle, athlete Jonah McCown;

Brownsboro: HC Lance Connot, defensive coordinator Rick Connot, offensive coordinator Ryan Hood, athlete Beau Hardin;

Bullard: AD Scott Callaway, HC Colt Bradford, athlete Ayden Barrett;

Cayuga: AD/HC Joe Satterwhite, athlete Landan Henry;

Chapel Hill: HC/AD Jeff Riordan, assistant AD Matt Riordan, superintendent Lamond Dean, athlete Daveon Ross;

Edgewood: AD Jason Seale, HC Alex Guerra, athlete Brady Bannister;

Frankston: AD/HC Paul Gould, athlete Conlan Lemay;

Gilmer: HC/AD Alan Metzel, athlete Sean Wallace;

Grace Community: HC/assistant AD Tim Russell, AD Eddie Francis, Head of School Dr. Jay Ferguson, athlete Grant Turner;

Grand Saline: AD/HC Joe Drennon, superintendent Micah Lewis, athlete Alex Salazar;

Henderson: AD Clay Freeman, athlete Kaleb Tate;

Kilgore College: HC Willie Gooden, DC Russell Thompson, OC Paul Burgos, athlete Derek Burns;

Lindale: AD/HC Chris Cochran, athlete Carson Plunkett;

Longview: Assistant AD Johnny Hamilton, assistant HC Oscar Wilson, athlete Tavion Morgan;

Palestine: DC Brandon Hargers, athlete Reese Hargers;

Pine Tree: HC/assistant AD Jason Bachman, athlete Raimone Flournoy;

Rusk: AD/HC Thomas Sitton, athlete Micah Givens;

Spring Hill: HC Brandon Joslin, athlete Carson Tidwell, superintendent Penny Fleet;

Texas College: AD Randy Butler, HC Jarrail Jackson, athlete Aron McClure;

Trinity Valley: HC Sherard Poteete, athlete Vito Sigel;

Troup: AD/HC Sam Wells, retired HC John Eastman, superintendent Tammy Jones, principal Landon Trent, athlete Grayson Hearon;

Tyler: HC Rashaun Woods, athlete Marquette Martin AD Greg Priest, assistant AD Sam Gillespie, deputy superintendent Ronald Jones;

Tyler Junior College: HC Tanner Jacobson, athlete Zion Fonua; associate AD Kelsi Weeks, president Dr. Juan Mejia, provost Dr. Deana Sheppard, associate vice provost Dr. Tim Drain, retired head coach Danny Palmer;

Tyler Legacy: HC Beau Trahan, athlete Brooks Gallagher, AD Greg Priest, assistant AD Sam Gillispie, assistant offensive coordinator Colin Shillinglaw;

Van: HC Jared Moffatt, athlete Cannon Rainey, superintendent Donald Dunn, defensive coordinator Jaron Rainey;

Whitehouse: HC Kyle Westerberg, athlete Josh Green, AD Don Newton, superintendent Dr. Christopher Moran;

Winona: HC/AD Keylon Kincade, athlete Cabron Hampton.

The event was sponsored by Azalea Orthopedics and Baylor Scott & White Texas Spine & Joint Hospital. It was presented by The Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce, SPORTyler and the City of Tyler. Lunch sponsor was Spring Creek Barbeque.