The family of the slain Aplington-Parkersburg High School coach accepted the Arthur Ashe Courage Award Wednesday night.
The coach’s son, Aaron, accepted the award after a video tribute explaining how Thomas rallied the community after a deadly tornado in 2008, how he was gunned down the following year and how the Thomas family showed compassion to the family of the man convicted of killing him.
Back in May, ESPN’s E:60 interviewed the Thomas and Becker families. It’s been a little more than a year (June 24, 2009) when Mark Becker, recently released from a psychiatric facility, went to the school’s weight room and killed this football legend. The video below is a great example of the power of compassion and forgiveness. It is a great tribute to a man who wasn’t just a high school football legend, but a man who loved Jesus, his family, his players and his community.