Highland Park football team connects with community through service: 'Teaching the next generation'

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (WLS) -- There's a high school football team in the north suburbs making a community proud, and it has nothing to do with wins and losses.

Of course the Highland Park Giants are practicing the Xs and Os, but whether they're on the field or off, it's their sense of service that's caught the eye of the local police department.

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"They teach these young men how to play football certainly... but, boy, they also teach these young men how to connect with the community, how to contribute back into the community and how to care for their community," Highland Park Police Chief Lou Jogmen said.

Chief Jogmen sees the product of Giants football every day - several of his officers are former players.

"I was linebacker," Highland Park Park Police Officer Aaron Brown said. "I was the captain, and ultimately went undefeated that year."

Officer Brown is a football guy. These days, he's scratching the itch as a volunteer assistant coach.

"When I was little, I looked up to the guys," Brown said. "When I was in seventh and eighth grade, going to the Highland Park football games, I wanted to be just like the juniors and seniors. And once I was in that position, I felt that responsibility. It's a big role."

Officer Brown, or Coach Brown as he's known to some, knows first hand the lessons his players learn inside the lines carry over when they're out representing their community.

"Time in and time out, they're showing me that they're more than football players, you know?" Brown said.

Picking up trash to clean up their community, joining police to dish out high fives to elementary school students, and raising money for Special Olympics with the annual Plane Pull, the Giants are making an impact.

"We're all together, and we're trying to make everyone else better, not just ourselves," sophomore quarterback Zach Baum said.

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The team has formed a close bond with the police department.

"We know how much they do for us, and we really want to respect them and what they ask us to do," sophomore wide receiver Remy Drexler said. "Also, every time we have a home game or an away game, the day before or the day of, we're wearing our jerseys in the school. We stand out to teachers and staff in the school, so they recognize us, the good we do... and the bad we do."

With the football program, Chief Jogmen will be there first to tell anyone there's a lot of good.

"They're teaching the next generation that you can be like this," Jogmen said. "You can be engaged. You should be engaged... they are bought in and it shows."