We did a story yesterday on the New York couple that recently won the lottery for the second time. Today, we profiled another family that has had two long-shots come in -- the Mangold family of Ohio.
It's rare enough to have a son who becomes a starting center for an NFL playoff team (especially as a rookie). It's even more unique to have a daughter who becomes a contributor on the offensive line for a state championship-caliber high school football team. But that's exactly what Vern and Therese Mangold have in their children, 23-year-old Nick and 17-year-old Holley. WATCH VIDEO
Nick's story is a fairly familiar one -- he was a high school legend, an All-American at Ohio State and is now entering his second season as the starting center for the New York Jets.
Holley's tale is a bit different. Seeking to follow her brother to the gridiron, she started playing football in the second grade over the initial objections of her father. But she soon won over her father (who was also her first coach) and has stuck with it, overcoming the inevitable jokes and taunts that come with a girl playing football -- especially a big one (as she told Meredith this morning, "I'm a really big person").
Though it hasn't necessarily been her goal, she has become a role model for anyone -- male or female -- who wants to go against convention and has the determination to pull it off.
Last season, she was a part-time player for Archbishop Alter High School in Kettering, Ohio, as her team reached the state championship game.
This year, Holley has earned a spot as a backup guard on the offensive line and is one of her team's most imposing physical presences -- she checks in at 315 pounds this season, able to bench press 265 pounds and squat 525 pounds.
Although college coaches from Division I-AA, Division II and Division III have reportedly shown interest in Holley's skills, she has expressed some concern about whether football will remain in her future.
It seems to me that she shouldn't worry about the future right now. As she admits, she's not very fast or tall, and she doesn't even start for her high school team. Sure, if she finds a college situation, that would be great. But most high school football players don't go on to college careers, and her success trascends pancake blocks and offensive schemes.
In the meantime, conventions and gender roles don't mean much -- she and her teammates have a state championship to chase (the Knights are 2-0 so far this season).