Everybody that makes it to the Super Bowl has a story - a journey to end up at the world's largest sporting event.
Falcons Nation has officially arrived in Houston and Falcons jerseys are everywhere. But for one man born in Atlanta and living in San Diego, there’s a great story behind his trip.
Tyron Hopkins lives in San Diego, but there’s no doubt who he loves and where he’s from.
“Born and raised in Atlanta,” he said. “I was born a Falcon. I think I had wings they had to pluck off.”
He’s the basketball coach and dean of students at Horizon Christian Academy in Clairemont Mesa East. They call him Coach T. He always reps the ‘A’.
This past month, that lesson was returned. When Hopkins’s Falcons made the Super Bowl, his students worked secretly to make it special. They started a Go Fund Me page and raised enough money to send Hopkins to Houston.
“You want to change someone’s life and make them a better person," Hopkins said. "And this shows that what I’m doing - and how I’m doing it - is working.”
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Now he’s in Houston and he’s thankful for every inch in this Super Bowl city.
“It’s amazing! I have no words for the gratitude for them to be able to send me here knowing how much I love this team but I love them even more,” Hopkins said.
Hopkins doesn’t have a ticket to the game yet but he says no matter where he watches in Houston, he’ll be thrilled - especially if the Falcons get it done.
You can read the full stroy from NBC affiliate WXIA Atlanta's Matthew Pearl here.
