BUFFALO STATE ATHLETICS
BUFFALO — Buffalo State football played host to a “flag football showdown” for the Best Buddies’ Buffalo State Chapter on Sunday at Coyer Field.
The mission of Best Buddies Colleges is to provide an opportunity for college students to be matched in a one-to-one friendship with individuals who have intellectual disabilities. College chapters are active on 298 campuses worldwide. Each chapter is a registered student organization on their college campus.
The Bengals’ football team partnered with Autumn Jenks, a sophomore exceptional education major and chapter president, to present the game that started out of discussions that began last July. “I believe that even an individual with a disability can accomplish anything they want to, and they should be inspired to follow their dreams just as anyone else is to follow their own,” said Jenks.
Assistant football coach and offensive coordinator Christian Ozolins served as the game’s referee and other coaches and players helped coach the two teams that were wearing orange and black shirts. “It was a fun time for both our players and the football players from Best Buddies,” Ozolins said. “It was great to form this partnership and we look forward to continuing and growing this event into the future.”
Bengals’ wide receiver Had Bryant served as the play-by-play public address announcer and conducted interviews on the field with the Best Buddies players in the second half.
Spectators who attended the event made donations to benefit the Buffalo State Best Buddies Chapter.
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