MIAMI (WSVN) - An NFL player with ties to South Florida is planning to pay a touching tribute to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting victims.
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Allen Hurns went to school in Miami Gardens at Carol City High School and also attended the University of Miami. The Parkland shooting hit close to home for him. He even wears the number 17 to honor and remember the 17 victims of the Parkland shooting.
Hurns plans to bring more awareness Thursday night as the Dallas Cowboys face the New Orleans Saints. He’s reminding everyone how we must find ways of making our schools safer.
When he steps onto the field, he’ll be wearing the number 17 on his jersey and have the first names of the 17 victims from the shooting across his cleats.
“Seventeen people lost their lives. People across the world need to hear this story and just realize what these kids are going through, what these families are going through,” Hurns said.
Miami Gardens, where Hurns grew up, is about 45 minutes from Parkland.
On Feb. 14, Hurns said he could not believe what he was seeing on the news.
“I was watching TV at the time, and the TV shifted. That was on every channel,” Hurns said.
He’s now taking part in the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats initiative to help bring awareness of making schools safer.
“Me growing up down there in South Florida, you know, I feel like my school wasn’t safe,” he said, “so me hearing about this, it hit home for me of how close I am to my family, so I can only imagine what those families are going through.”
Hurns recently returned to South Florida to meet with students and their parents.
“When I wear these cleats, I know it’s gonna mean a lot to them,” Hurns said. “Just from me going back this weekend, having a conversation with them, you know, it shows these are the things that give them hope.”
The goal is to bring some light to the situation.
“Anyone that was involved with the Stoneman Douglas shooting, I hope you all are proud of me of what I’m doing right now,” Hurns said, “and not just because of me, that we bring more awareness to what’s going on, and we try to find better solutions for safer schools. It’s a very unfortunate situation, but hopefully we can bring some light into this.”
Hurns added that each and every day he goes to practice or when he has a game, he’s always thinking about the families in Parkland.
The Dallas Cowboys are looking to win their 11th straight game, Thursday night.
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