Players from Stanford, Maryland take time out to feed the hungry
Willis Griffin loves football. He played four years at Madison High in Dallas before heading west to San Francisco.
But his days on the gridiron are behind him. The 67-year-old has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and scrapes by on his monthly supplemental security income checks. Every day, the former quarterback shows up at San Francisco’s Glide Memorial Church for a free hot meal.
On Sunday, though, Griffin was presented with a hot tray of chicken, bread and vegetables by an unusual cast of volunteers: the Stanford University football team.
“This lifts your spirit,” said Griffin, a Stanford fan who lives around the block from Glide in the Tenderloin. “This is outstanding. It makes me want to get back out there and play.”
The Stanford and University of Maryland football teams volunteered Sunday at Glide and at St. Anthony Dining Room, handing out meals to Griffin and hundreds of others before Tuesday’s inaugural Foster Farms
Bowl at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
The game — formerly the Fight Hunger Bowl — is the only bowl in the National Collegiate Athletic Associa- tion that focuses on giving back, organizers said, and the game’s sponsor donated 1,000 pounds of chicken to Glide and St. Anthony’s four blocks away.
Since Christmas, the teams have been absorbed in pre- game festivities, which included riding the cable cars and a trip to Alcatraz. But for many players, volunteering at the church has been the most fulfilling part of the visit.
“Football is a game, but this is real life,” said Maryland’s head coach, Randy Edsall, as he dished out the grub alongside his players at St. Anthony’s. “You can make a difference. This is part of the college experience. That’s what I want these guys to get out if this.”
Barry Stenger, executive director at St. Anthony’s, said it’s important to give food to the needy, but it’s also valuable to make less-fortunate folks feel like they are part of major events that define the Bay Area.
“We’re not going to push these people out,” he said. “This is a way for them to be part of our community.”
Lifelong Cal fan William Hunter played tight end at McClymonds High School in Oakland as part of the class of 1972. He was enjoying the atmosphere with his friends at St. Anthony’s, and even got a jacket from Edsall.
On Tuesday, the 60-year- old said he’ll be rooting for Maryland.
“This reminds me of the days when I played the game,” he said while enjoying his chicken, rice and fruit. “But I can’t play with young guys like these. My knees can’t take it, so now I just play touch football.”
Back at Glide, Stanford coach David Shaw cleared trays from the tables in one of the dining areas.
“Taking on this bowl game, we know there is always going to be an element of giving back,” he said. “This is something that is real and tangible where you affect people’s lives in a positive way.”
Nearby, Jordan Pratt, a wide receiver studying engineering and energy efficiency at Stanford had one of the premier volunteer jobs — hot-sauce man.
“It’s hard to get the game out of my mind,” he said while drizzling the condiment over chicken drumsticks. “But it’s good to take a few days and give back. Although we dedicate a lot of time to football — it’s good to know there are more important things in life.”