Zach Hall article

[Hoofprint]

This was in the Dallas Morning News last month. Sounds like a great young man.

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Athlete treats special-ed students to softer side

Irving High linebacker turns off gridiron fire, turns on helping spirit

By ERIC AASEN / The Dallas Morning News

Eight-year-old Valeria Ceballos has difficulty walking or talking.

But she sure can smile. And that's all she does when she's around Zach Hall, a senior at Irving High.

At 6-3 and 220 pounds, Zach is also a linebacker for Irving High's football team. But, off the gridiron, tackles turn into hugs.

Zach visits twice each week with Valeria, who has cerebral palsy, and other special education students at Barton Elementary.

He said he looks forward to seeing the children.

"You see all the problems and all the difficulties they have to overcome, just to see them smiling ... makes you feel good," said Zach, 18. "It makes you happy that you can do something for them."

He's a natural with special-needs children, said Millie Peck, head of the special education department at Barton Elementary.

"They know he cares," she said. "They feel very comfortable around him. He talks to them about things they're interested in. He thinks about them and thinks on their level."

Zach started meeting with the students in September. He volunteers as part of a class offered at Irving High.

After plenty of hugs, Zach talks and reads with the students. Other times, he listens to them read.

Valeria's face lighted up when she saw him one morning last month.

"Come here, girl," Zach said. He picked her up and brought her to a couch in the middle of the special education classroom. "How are you?"

She grinned.

Valeria will probably never be fully understood while speaking, her teachers said. But Valeria and Zach have developed their own form of communication, combining simple words with motions.

As he talked with other students, Valeria grabbed on to his legs and held tight.

"Is Zach your boyfriend?" Ms. Peck asked Valeria.

"Yes," she said.

"Do you love Zach?" Ms. Peck asked.

"Yes," she responded, smiling.

Ms. Peck said she was skeptical when she heard a football player would be working with the children. But her fears were dismissed once she saw Zach's interaction with the kids

Tim Hall isn't surprised. Through the years, he's seen his son spend time with children who have disabilities or are shunned by their peers.

"He's drawn to those people who have needs," he said. "He steps beside them and really walks with them, loves them, gives them special attention. He has the courage to seek out those people that other people would walk by and just ignore."

His son, he says, is tough and tender. Tender when interacting with kids. But tough on the field.

Zach was a three-year starter and served as defensive captain on Irving High's football team. He made the All-District 8-5A football team. And, this week, he was named to the Irving Morning News' all-city team.

Zach is a competitive player who understands the game, said Jim Bennett, head football coach at Irving.

But, Mr. Bennett said, "Zach's best ability is his leadership. He's one of those kids who fits in ... with all of our kids and they rally around him."

Zach's skills attracted the attention of collegiate football programs, including Iowa State and Southern Methodist universities. This fall, he'll attend SMU on a full-ride scholarship.

Off the field, he likes to fish with his father and brother, Chris, a sophomore who also plays football at Irving. His mother, Rona, is a school nurse.

Zach's a member of New Beginnings Fellowship, where his father is pastor. He's also a member of the church's youth group.

He dreams of playing in the NFL. If he doesn't make it, then he'll be a coach. Or a teacher.

Since interacting with Valeria and the other students, he's considering being a special education teacher.

And, for Valeria's sake, the sooner, the better.

E-mail [email protected]

[Lotus]

You just don't read enough stories like that about athletes today. Thanks for posting it, Hoofprint.