Eastern Michigan Athletics
EMU Football Holds 12th Annual Victory Day
5/20/2026 1:21:00 PM | Football
The team orchestrated a day of football for cognitive and physically impaired participants
Highlights | Photo Gallery
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Touchdowns, celebrations, and cheering filled 'The Factory' at Rynearson Stadium, May 20, but the Eastern Michigan University football team was not in action. Rather, the Eastern players were the ones cheering and helping celebrate the touchdowns, tackles, and dances performed by a near-record number of participants in the program's annual Victory Day event. The 12th edition of Victory Day welcomed cognitive and physically impaired community members to take part in a day of football with Eastern Michigan players, coaches, and staff.
The day began as participants entered Crosby Field through a tunnel of EMU football players with members of the cheer and dance teams joining. Head Coach Chris Creighton took a moment to welcome all participants to the field before handing the reigns over to players Hector Gonzalez (Monterrey, Mexico/Rabun Gap-Nachoochee School (Ga.)) and Eli Lovett (Huber Heights, Ohio/Wayne) to officially begin the football activities.
The participants were split into 10 groups and had the opportunity to rotate through five different stations. Those stations, each supervised by EMU players and staff, consisted of throwing nets, agility bags, tackling drills, touchdown scoring, and much more! Additionally, several participants practiced routines with the cheer and dance team in the center of the field with several members of the football team joining in.
With time at each station wrapped, Creighton and the team presented each participant with a medal before posing for a group photo and wrapping up the day with a loud rendition of "Go Eagles!" The day could not be complete without lunch, however, which featured an array of fan-favorite foods inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center.
About Victory Day
Victory Day was started in 2010 by Trenton teacher and varsity football defensive coordinator Aaron Segedi. Aaron, a native of Riverview, was diagnosed with cancer in 2005, which was brought on by a rare condition known as primary sclerosing cholangitis. As a football coach, Aaron lives by the philosophy that building character holds equal importance to teaching X's and O's, if not more. Victory Day was developed as a vehicle to teach this virtue, as well as a way to give back to the community. What started out as an idea filled with uncertainty has since developed into a rapidly growing phenomenon as the program has already been adopted by various schools in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Touchdowns, celebrations, and cheering filled 'The Factory' at Rynearson Stadium, May 20, but the Eastern Michigan University football team was not in action. Rather, the Eastern players were the ones cheering and helping celebrate the touchdowns, tackles, and dances performed by a near-record number of participants in the program's annual Victory Day event. The 12th edition of Victory Day welcomed cognitive and physically impaired community members to take part in a day of football with Eastern Michigan players, coaches, and staff.
The day began as participants entered Crosby Field through a tunnel of EMU football players with members of the cheer and dance teams joining. Head Coach Chris Creighton took a moment to welcome all participants to the field before handing the reigns over to players Hector Gonzalez (Monterrey, Mexico/Rabun Gap-Nachoochee School (Ga.)) and Eli Lovett (Huber Heights, Ohio/Wayne) to officially begin the football activities.
The participants were split into 10 groups and had the opportunity to rotate through five different stations. Those stations, each supervised by EMU players and staff, consisted of throwing nets, agility bags, tackling drills, touchdown scoring, and much more! Additionally, several participants practiced routines with the cheer and dance team in the center of the field with several members of the football team joining in.
With time at each station wrapped, Creighton and the team presented each participant with a medal before posing for a group photo and wrapping up the day with a loud rendition of "Go Eagles!" The day could not be complete without lunch, however, which featured an array of fan-favorite foods inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center.
About Victory Day
Victory Day was started in 2010 by Trenton teacher and varsity football defensive coordinator Aaron Segedi. Aaron, a native of Riverview, was diagnosed with cancer in 2005, which was brought on by a rare condition known as primary sclerosing cholangitis. As a football coach, Aaron lives by the philosophy that building character holds equal importance to teaching X's and O's, if not more. Victory Day was developed as a vehicle to teach this virtue, as well as a way to give back to the community. What started out as an idea filled with uncertainty has since developed into a rapidly growing phenomenon as the program has already been adopted by various schools in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.
Players Mentioned
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