2015 NFL Hall of Fame Game
Making Warrior Wishes Come True At The NFL Hall Of Fame Game
My Dad & I officially kicked off our 2015 “All32in17” mission by making Warrior Wishes come true at the Hall of Fame Game in Canton.
This year, while the NFL was busy honoring some of the best to ever play the game, My Dad & I were busy honoring Army Sgt Matthew Killian & Army SFC Adam McCamant for thier selfless service & sacrifices (Read Their Bio’s below).
After a 7 hour overnight drive and sleeping in the car we met up with the warriors outside of the Hall of Fame just before 9am. We decided to meet up early to avoid waiting in extremely long lines to see the Halls’ main attractions.
Both Sgt Killian & SFC McCamant are die hard Steelers fans & were excited for the opportunity to be our guests for the day and even more excited to have the opportunity to watch their Steelers play against the Vikings to kickoff the 2015 preseason.
Once inside the Hall, We immediately made our way up to see the new busts added to the “Hall of Fame Gallery.” We spent hours walking around taking in all the history, from the game used memorbilia, to every Superbowl Championship ring. We saw it all. We even had the opportunity to take a picture with the Lombardi Trophy!!!
Just before noon we made our way over to the PFUFA (Professional Football Ultimate Fan Association) Breakfast. Over the past 3 seasons we have made quite a few friends in the PFUFA organization & wanted to stop by and say hello. Plus we hoped to tailgate with many of them this upcoming season so we networked amongst the ultimate fans and let them all know when we planned on making Warrior Wishes come true in their city. Matt & Adam also got in the action and took some pictures with a few Ultimate fans before heading out for some lunch.
We grabbed a bite to eat, played some connect four, attempted to chase down some Hall of Famers & had the honor of meeting Medal of Honor Recipients (Army Master SGT Leroy Petry & Navy Corpsman 2nd Class Donald Ballard) before we took a little break and went back to our cars to get out of the heat and charge up our phones for the game.
The four of us made our way over to the stadium early to get a good spot on the fence so we could try and meet some players and get some autographs. It paid off as we had the opportunity to meet a few Steelers players including Superstar Antonio Brown!
Eventually security made everyone go up to their seats just before game time. It had already been a day filled with memories and the game hadn’t even started!
We had seats 24 rows up on the aisle directly behind the Goal Post. We watched the Golden Knights parachute down to the field and deliver the game ball & enjoyed the flyover during the National Anthem. It was officially game time!
Unfortunately for the Warriors, none of the starters played in the game, QB Ben Roethlisberger did not even suit up, & the Steelers lost the game. On the brightside, it was only a meaningless preseason game & more importantly the warriors had a lot of fun throughout the entire day.
Sgt Killian told us it was “One of the best experiences of his life.”
Comments like those keep my dad and I going. Spending 14 hours in a day driving and sleeping in cars is not always fun & trust me when I tell you my dad does not enjoy riding the bus. But when we see the warriors with smiles on their faces, having fun & hear comments like those, it makes it all worth it. That’s why we do it!
We thanked the Matt & Adam one last time before the 3rd quarter ended and headed out a little early to beat the traffic and drive back to Chicago to get to work on time. It was a memorable day that none of us will ever forget.
Over the next few weeks, my dad & I will be preparing for the upcoming season. We encourage you to come out and join us at our 2nd annual Warrior Wishes Scramble at Pheasant Run resort in St Charles IL on August 24th & Join us for our charity concert on August 29th featuring Olivia Dvorak & Drake Bell (From Nickelodeon’s hit series “Drake & Josh”) We would like to thank our Friend Minor from veteran owned Excel Automotive for his hard work in organizing the event.
ARMY SGT MATTHEW KILLIAN
Sgt Matthew D. Killian joined the military 5 days after his 20th birthday. He attended One Station Unit Training (OSUT) at Ft. Knox, KY where he trained to become a Cavalry Scout. Over his 12 year career, SGT Killian deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and deployed twice to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
On his first deployment to Afghanistan, spanning from July 2009 until July 2010, Matt spent time as a Stryker gunner and a dismounted team leader. On the 23rdof June, 2010 Matt’s Stryker vehicle rolled over an IED which sent shrapnel into his head. Sgt Killian was awarded the Purple Heart the next day. Despite the injuries,
Sgt Killian was medically retired on November 27th, 2014 and now lives in Erie, PA with his wife Emily, and their children Robbie, Madelyn, and Charlotte. He struggles daily with the drastic changes to being out and as of last week just got hired for his first job since becoming a civilian. He is an avid hunter and loves to watch all sports especially the professional teams in Pittsburgh. One day he hopes to start a charity that benefits veterans of any era.
ARMY SFC ADAM McCAMANT
Adam R. McCamant was born May 29th, 1985 in the city of New Philadelphia, Ohio. He graduated from Buckeye Career Center in 2004. He joined the United States Army in 2004.
Adam R. McCamant enlisted in the Army in April 2004 as in Forward Observer. His military training was received at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. His assignments consist of a 3 years in Ft Lewis Washington with C- Company, 3-21st Infantry Battalion 25th Infantry Division SBCT, with a deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He was then assigned a 1 year tour to 2-14 Cav 2nd Infantry division at Camp Hovey Korea. Reenlisted for Ft Lewis Washington and assigned to 1-14 Cav Regiment 2nd infantry division, with a deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Then was selected to be A US Army Recruiter at Minneapolis Recruiting Battalion working in Des Moines, Iowa. Then assigned to Cleveland Battalion as a Center Leader at Canton Recruiting Company. SFC McCamant Adam R converted to primary MOS 79R in OCT 2012.
SFC McCamant’s military training consists of the Army’s One Station Unit Training for Forward observer at Ft Sill, Oklahoma, Warrior Leader Course, Joint Fires Observer Course, Combat life savers Course Army Recruiter Course, and Forward Observer Advanced Leader Course, 79R Senior Leader Course, Center Commander Course.
SFC McCamants awards and decorations include four Army Commendation Medals, Two Army Achievement Medal, ThreeArmy Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Ribbon with one star, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, Three Overseas Service Ribbons, two Certificates of Achievement, the Recruiter Badge Silver, the Combat Action Badge, and the Driver/Mechanic Badge.
SFC McCamant lives with his wife, Sarah, and his Daughter, Lily, age 11 Month.
