Catch Episode Two of FC Dallas Extra Time on Saturday, March 12 at 7 p.m. on TXA 21, leading up to the first Texas Derby match of the season against the Houston Dynamo!
Throughout the years, I have had the chance to visit with professional athletes on their home turf. Yes, there was that one time I climbed in Shawn Marion’s bathtub but that’s a story for another day.
The great thing about getting to connect with these guys away from work is that you truly get to know who they are, where they came from and what they’re all about.
That was absolutely the case when I had the chance to spend the day with FC Dallas defender and Seagoville-native Moises Hernandez. We featured the 24-year old on the first episode of FC Dallas Extra Time and it is clear that his family and the entire Seagoville community are proud of what this young man is doing.
Walking through the halls at Seagoville High School, Moises was stopped every few minutes. From students he grew up with to younger kids wondering “Who is this guy with the camera crew?!?”, Mo shared a kind word with everyone he came across. You could definitely get the sense he was happy to be back at Seagoville and proud to be a Dragon alum.
Moises’ humility and generosity comes from his parents. When we visited with Javier and Maria Hernandez at their home just a mile away from Seagoville High School, they welcomed us as if they had known FC Dallas photojournalist Aaron Griffin and me for decades.
Javier and Maria made a wonderful dinner for us featuring homemade beef and vegetable soup, decadent Guatemalan tamales (which have olives in them!) and a delicious vanilla strawberry cake decorated with the FC Dallas logo. We had plenty of leftovers to take home, something my daughter, Jordan, enjoyed for days.
Again, I have visited a LOT of athletes’ and coaches’ homes. I’ve never been welcomed like that before.
It is that sense of family that really struck me with the Hernandez clan. Moises’ room is still decorated like it was when he lived with his parents, featuring newspaper articles, credentials and posters commemorating his success as a soccer player.
Javier and Maria take pride in welcoming people to their home and even more pride in their children’s and grandchildren’s achievements. Not to sound too cynical but in a time in which many people seem so jaded, their overwhelming pride and hospitality was a refreshing experience.
