N.C. State’s Victory Day: A celebration of inclusivity and football for all abilities

“Saaaaaam!”

The small crowd gathered at Carter-Finley Stadium cheered as Sam Hening took the field Friday night. The 34-year-old was a favorite among fans and players alike.

“Sam’s my guy, I can’t lie,” defensive end Davin Vann said. “Every year he comes out here wearing the same thing. He always dresses up, full pads and all. Helmet and everything.”

Hening was one of 52 participants at N.C. State football’s sixth annual Victory Day. It’s the pinnacle of an ongoing partnership between the NCSU athletic department and GiGi’s Playhouse, a Down syndrome achievement center in Raleigh. The event provided cognitively and physically impaired people the chance to be football stars for the night. They tried on uniforms, met players and coaches, ran through the tunnel and competed in drills with the players.

“I love Victory Day,” N.C. State head coach Dave Doeren said Wednesday. “It’s an opportunity to do something in the community with a group of folks that we love and consider family. It’s a chance for us to bring GiGi’s Playhouse and their group in here and make them a part of our roster for a day and have a lot of fun with them. The guys love it as much as the people coming in here to be a part of it.”

The event began around 5 p.m., with participants entering the Wendell H. Murphy Football Center and being greeted by N.C. State football players at the door. Each participant was paired with a player, who helped them pick out their own uniforms, walked them through the center and then held their hand as they ran through the tunnel and onto the field.

The highlight of the evening was the moment each participant scored a touchdown, cheered on by a crowd around the south tunnel. Vann laughed as he described a variety of celebrations — from Fortnite emotes to the Dougie — he saw from participants at the touchdown station.

“The energy we bring, it just happens naturally,” Vann said. “It’s just fun. It’s a fun thing. Some of our guys, they enjoy it more than the participants.”

‘Brings a smile to my face’

Victory Day is more than just an event; it’s a testament to Doeren’s ongoing support of neurodivergent individuals.

Earlier this year, he and his wife, Sara, pledged $1.25 million to fund the OnePack Empowered program at NCSU, aimed at helping neurodivergent students and those with executive functioning challenges. In October, Doeren invited 12-year-old Payton Gibbs — who has autism and worked as a football analyst alongside her father in Florida — to be an honorary coach during N.C. State’s game against Clemson.

“I feel a return [on investment],” Doeren said. “Obviously the community is the one you hope feels the investment.”

If Friday was any indication, it does.

Rachel Geer, a founding board member of GiGi’s Playhouse, said the organization approached several local universities years ago in an attempt to bring the University of Toledo’s Victory Day concept to the Triangle. She said N.C. State “jumped on the opportunity.”

“The support of Coach Doeren is amazing,” she said. “It’s something that I wish a lot of our other community members who have the platform would stand up and speak up for the way that he has. It’s just been so wonderful to see all the things that he’s done for the local community, the special needs population, and how that’s filtered down to our Down syndrome community.”

The relationships formed at Victory Day go beyond the annual event. Wolfpack players across several sports visit GiGi’s Playhouse. 321 Coffee, which employs Hening and other Victory Day participants, serves beverages in the Murphy Center on Mondays. Victory Day participants have also gone on to work in the football equipment room and boogie with the Wolfpack dance team at men’s basketball games.

“Walking into the dining room here and seeing Sam and [his co-worker] Anna working in there brings a smile to my face,” Doeren said. “The number of parents and emails and things that come in, not just about Victory Day, but about the OnePack Empowered program that Sara and I started on campus — there’s a lot of good things that are happening.”

‘I can’t say enough’

Victory Day is personal for Doeren. His eldest son, Jacob, is autistic. The Doerens were told Jacob wouldn’t have the capacity to work or live independently.

Jacob was in preschool at the time. And now? He’s a graduate of Appalachian State and is pursuing his master’s degree.

The Doerens know that cognitively and physically impaired folks are often told what they can’t do. Victory Day is just the opposite — a celebration of hope and inclusivity.

Geer’s son, Kendall, led star wideout KC Concepcion and his teammates in a viral dance trend. Freshman quarterback C.J. Bailey bragged he made history, claiming he threw the first touchdown pass at a Victory Night.

“It’s a chance for them to come out, have fun and get out of their shell,” graduate left tackle Anthony Belton said. “A lot of times, they don’t have the chance to be out here and do stuff like this. This is something we have fun doing.”

Sarah Rucker, 36, watched from the sideline as her older sister Kathryn participated in Victory Day. Before she learned about GiGi’s Playhouse, Rucker wasn’t aware of the opportunities extended to adults.

Kathryn, 42, is now a regular at Victory Day. She has multiple signature-filled jerseys she’s accumulated over the years — in both red and white, she might add.

“You never would’ve thought these football players would be so sweet and so nice and caring to all these individuals,” Rucker said. “It’s so heartwarming to see how much love and caring they invest in this event. I can’t say enough. I’m so impressed with it.”