High school football team surprises coach with new car
— -- Just in time for the holidays, a high school football team and fellow community members in Tennessee recently made a surprise play for a beloved coach.
For nearly two decades, Narcellus "Coach Squeaky" Black has coached football and other sports at Tennessee High School in Bristol.
Black also helps out with the team's laundry, sets up food and is present at every game. The boys said he is like a beloved grandpa to them, doling out advice and life lessons.
"If I [have] any questions about life or about sports, I just come to him cause he's one of the main persons in my life I can ask," said former student and football player Michael Mays Jr.
On Dec. 12, Black was greeted with cheers and keys as he was presented with a new car, courtesy of his players, other coaches and the community.
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The idea for the gift came after Black's car was vandalized in October following an away game. For weeks, the coach drove his 25-year-old car around with a plastic cover over the rear window even as temperatures dipped. Then, head coach Mike Mays, Michael Jr.'s father, came up with the idea to replace Black's car.
Students, players, parents and the community -- including the families of former football players -- chipped in, pledging donations and spreading word of the fundraiser.
"He (Black) taught me a lot," said Colby Fields, a former student and baseball player. "That's why we love him. He deserves this more than anybody."
Fields' father, Jeff Fields, owner of a local car dealership, heard about the team's plan and significantly reduced the price of a car in his lot. The donations were able to not only pay for the car in full but also buy Black a year's worth of insurance. A money wreath was also created with $200 for gas and the holidays.
Black told ABC News that he believed what he was doing was his life's calling and that he was thankful.
