MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Jays returned home Tuesday morning after competing in a D1 Nation national youth football tournament in Atlanta over the weekend.
It took 17 hours to drive back to north Minneapolis., yet on Tuesday afternoon, the team met with KARE 11 to show off a new trophy and share a message of gratitude.
"Came back with a trophy," said Zaakr Clark, who plays quarterback and cornerback. "We went into overtime and I threw the game-winning touchdown."
"He threw a perfect pass and our receiver just went up and got it," added Coby Stearns, one of their coaches.
The outcome is especially heartwarming, considering just weeks before the Jays left for the fall tournament, they couldn't afford the trip - even though they'd earned a spot there because they were the champions back in spring.
"So, we did a fundraiser," Clark said.
"Yeah, we were raising money," Clark's aunt Lavina Jackson said.
A single parent whose son also plays for the team, Jackson says they went door-knocking and bagged groceries in addition to posting an online fundraiser.
"We went over our goal, which is great," Jackson said. "Thankful and very blessed for everyone who donated."
The goal was $8,000 but $13,845 was raised.
"Yes, it's a football team but it's so much more than that," Jackson said. "It's the foundation to get us to where we want to be as developing our youth and our young men to get them on the right path for success. These are our future doctors, lawyers, football players."
At this point in their lives, they indeed have football dreams:
"Make it to college and then try to go D1."
"I would probably want to go for, like, best lineman in the nation."
"Just trying to keep my team safe and get D1 Nation."
The Jays returned from a cold and windy Atlanta to a snowless Minnesota. They're now on winter break for two weeks, and they plan to remain active. Tuesday afternoon, they were already watching and critiquing their highlight reels, and thinking ahead to the spring season.
"We as a coaching staff, we came together and gave the boys a goal — like start with 50 pushups a day," Stearns said.
"Oh yeah," Clark said. "I still gotta train."
And just as soon as they returned, parents and coaches launched a new fundraiser called Help Us Help Them.
They say they work with more than 100 boys, and equipment like helmets, shoulder pad straps and mouth guards are needed. They'd also like to travel again in spring, with hopes of getting a team bus for all age groups instead of having to drive separately. That would allow for more team-building opportunities, they said.
If you'd like to contribute, click here.
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