Sports
Honor a first responder, submit photos to display during SERVPRO First Responder Bowl
The SERVPRO First Responder Bowl will be played Tuesday, Dec. 28, at SMU’s Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, Texas. Kickoff is set for 2:15 p.m. CT on ESPN.
“We are excited to once again honor our first responders during the holiday season in front of a national television audience,” said Brant Ringler, executive director of the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl.
Our first responders put it on the line Everyday, giving it their all to make our neighborhoods healthier, better and safer places across our communities. You can say thanks by submitting a photo of a First Responder you know to the Everyday Heroes Wall, it could be a friend, a loved one, a neighbor or even yourself.
In December 2014, the bowl began honoring first responders, including police officers, firefighters, EMS workers, correctional officers, search and rescue, dispatchers, security guards, federal agents, border patrol agents and military personnel who have specialized training and are the first to arrive and provide assistance at the scene of an emergency. In 2018, the game was renamed to reflect the efforts to show appreciation to first responders.
Ford Stadium has served as the site of the last two contests, marking the first time that the game, previously known as the Heart of Dallas Bowl and TicketCity Bowl, was contested at a site other than Cotton Bowl Stadium.
Previous teams selected to compete include: Army West Point, Boise State, Boston College, Houston, Illinois, Louisiana, Louisiana Tech, North Texas, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Purdue, Southern Miss, Texas Tech, UNLV, Utah, UTSA, Washington, West Virginia, Western Michigan and Western Kentucky.
Sixty-seven bowl alumni have been drafted into the National Football League, led by two-time first-team All-Pro wide receiver Michael Thomas (Southern Miss). Of the draftees, five were first-round picks and eight were selected in the second round.
The SERVPRO First Responder Bowl has been decided by a touchdown or less two years in a row and three times in the last four editions. Two of those games were determined on the final play.
The SERVPRO First Responder bowl has been played post-Christmas Day since its inception. It is the first time that the game has been played on Dec. 28.
For additional information about the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl, please visit FirstResponderBowl.com.
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