Cops and Hawks flag football is Thursday at 6 p.m.

Cops and Hawks flag football is Thursday at 6 p.m.

Southeast Missouri’s Head Football Coach, Tom Matukewicz, was on vacation at Lake of the Ozarks when he heard the news of the Dallas Police killings.  He got on the phone the next morning and called players on their leadership council to discuss how the Redhawks could react to the news.

“Not saying anything and not doing anything isn’t working,” Coach Tuke told me.  He says our country can take a play out of their book when it comes to handling race relations.

The idea to raise money and show support for the University and community’s local law enforcement personnel was driven by the Redhawk football team’s leadership council, which is entirely player-led.

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“Being able to interact with the police department will undoubtedly benefit the Redhawks and this community,” said quarterback Dante Vandeven. “We want to set the standard and rise above violence in this society we live in.”

The Cops and Hawks Bowl will be played under general flag football rules with officials. An honorary coach will be assigned to each team.  Honorary coaches include Southeast Director of Athletics Brady Barke, Cape Girardeau Chief of Police Wes Blair, Cape Girardeau County Sheriff John Jordan and Jackson Chief of Police James Humphreys.

The Cops and Hawks Bowl is open to the public and donations will be accepted. Donations can be made at the event or online at BackStoppers.org/Donate