RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros football team surprised students at three Cameron County elementary schools Friday, greeting them with fist bumps, high fives and inspiring conversations at the end of the school day. 
 
Various teams representing UTRGV Athletics have been participating in Fist Bump Fridays since the fall 2021 semester. The initiative started with the UTRGV basketball programs as a way to spread positivity and get students excited as they were dropped off at school to start the day. It also encouraged the students to support the Vaqueros and created young fans across the community. 
 
Seeing how those early-morning encounters made an impact on local youth resulted in making Fist Bump Fridays a consistent part of UTRGV's community service efforts and a favorite among the #RallyTheValley initiatives. 
 
On Friday, seven football student-athletes made the event even more special as they took the time to visit classrooms and talk to kids ranging from three years old to fifth graders at Ed Downs Elementary in San Benito and Rancho Verde Elementary and Keller Elementary in Brownsville. The Vaqueros provided advice and insight into life as a college student-athlete, answered questions, took pictures and signed autographs, sending the youngsters into the weekend on a high note. 
 
"It was a really cool experience. The kids are awesome," defensive back Andrew Earls said. "Being around all these kids, it puts it into perspective how important the little things are. They get excited from just speaking to us. You don't think your voice matters that much until you talk to these little kids and they're all so excited. It's really cool to see. 
 
Earls, linebacker Walker Diharce and long snapper and PSJA North alum Agustin Renteria spent their afternoon at Ed Downs Elementary. Offensive lineman Wes Thompson and punter Will Rogalinski went to Rancho Verde Elementary. Offensive lineman Gannon Lauer and defensive lineman Marek Wojno spent time at Keller Elementary. The Vaqueros spread messages about listening to your teacher, getting assignments done on time, and giving their best effort to everything they do. 
 
"[Events like this] help you to get on more of a personal level with the community around you and it helps the kids see that we're just regular kids who had a dream and we're getting to live that out, and if they stay in school and do the little things right, they can live out their dreams as well," Earls said. 
 
The Vaqueros regularly give back to the Rio Grande Valley community, which has poured into UTRGV, too. On April 11, the football team hosted its second annual spring game at Sams Memorial Stadium in Brownsville and played in front of 2,831 fans. As the program continues to rise, so will its commitment to service. 
 
"We love how the Valley has rallied behind our athletics programs, and we want to continue building on that momentum," said Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Success Julia Perez. "Having our football student-athletes in Cameron County is one way we can support and expand what has already been established. It's a small effort that allows us to spread positivity, inspire young students, and strengthen the bond between UTRGV Athletics and the Valley we are proud to represent." 

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