After a Troup High School football player was severely injured during a homecoming game Friday night, the small East Texas community rallied its support for the player with colorful apparel.
Cooper Reid, a junior at Troup High School, suffered a severe brain injury during a Friday night football game against Buffalo. He is reportedly still in the hospital and is being monitored by doctors. Reid’s family continues to ask for prayers from the community.
During his fight to recover, the small town of Troup has come out with its “go blue” campaign to show support. School leaders chose to cancel the school’s homecoming dance and instead hold a vigil for Reid.
“Cooper’s condition, we just felt like it was an evening better spent praying for Cooper and his family and his recovery,” said Tammy Jones, Troup ISD superintendent.
Recently, a local business has decided to show its support as well.
“Someone reached out and told me someone got injured really bad in a football game and that the town was doing ‘turn Texas blue,'” Trinity Coats told CBS19.
Coats works for Goal Life Nutrition in Troup, which is now serving a drink called Blue for #22.
“I reached out to our boss and decided let’s do a fundraiser to help with the family,” said Coats. “Lots of people around here posting about it and fundraising for it.”
The store will be donating 10% of the drink’s sales until September 17 “towards Cooper and his recovery.”
Students and community members have come forward on social media with a wave of prayers and well wishes.
“He’s a really good student and a good athlete he’s very active in the school – fishing team, football, all the sports,” said Coats. “He’s a good kid, a lot of people have come in talking about him.”
While the extent of his injuries is unknown, NBC 5 sister station KETK in Tyler reported Reid is in stable condition. Initial brain scans reportedly point to improvement.
