{"id":9501,"date":"2026-01-28T15:21:42","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T20:21:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/?p=9501"},"modified":"2026-01-30T11:59:40","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T16:59:40","slug":"a-champion-in-the-family-and-on-the-field-drew-and-indiana-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/about\/blog\/a-champion-in-the-family-and-on-the-field-drew-and-indiana-football\/","title":{"rendered":"A Champion in the Family and on the Field: Drew and Indiana Football"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The road to becoming a National Champion hasn\u2019t always been an easy one for 10-year-old Drew. Drew lives with a heart condition called hypoplastic left heart syndrome and additional diagnoses. Before the age of two, Drew had already undergone three open heart surgeries. He now takes daily medications to help manage his conditions, has regular checkups with doctors, and will likely have to have more surgeries as he grows. Though Drew has overcome many obstacles in his 10 years, they\u2019ve never stopped him from being the silly, energetic, strong-willed, friend to everyone that he is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In August of 2023, Drew was matched with the Indiana football team through Team IMPACT, and it was the start of something special. Drew lives in Westport, IN, which is a bit of a drive to campus in Bloomington. But like most things in his life, distance won\u2019t stop Drew, especially when it comes to being a good teammate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the very beginning, Drew has embraced his role with the Hoosiers. Whether he\u2019s running out with the team on game day as the beloved \u201ckickoff kid,\u201d dapping up players with knuckles on the field, or staying connected through the group chat when he can\u2019t be there in person, Drew shows up with pure joy and pride. Football isn\u2019t just something he loves\u2014it\u2019s something he now lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And for both Drew and his teammates this season, that hard work and dedication paid off on the biggest stage in the biggest way. This season, Drew and his teammates became <\/strong>National Champions<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Though a National Championship win is never guaranteed, Drew\u2019s confidence that his team would achieve this milestone never wavered. When asked how it feels to officially be a National Champ, Drew\u2019s steadfast belief in his team was on full display. \u201cGood,\u201d he said, \u201cbecause I knew<\/em> we would win<\/strong>!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That confidence feels right at home with Indiana Football. Before the National Championship game, Drew was welcomed onto the field to be right beside his teammates during their warmups. He got to meet Mark Cuban, take selfies with Holly Rowe, and get his teammates pumped up for the biggest game of their lives. Drew\u2019s favorite moments from Game Day are exactly what you\u2019d expect from the MVP of a National Championship team. \u201cGetting on the field and getting to give the guys knuckles!\u201d he said, \u201cAnd winning!<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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