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| Chris Hope with his framed high school jersey. The #4 will never be worn again by any other Rock Hill High School football player. |
Hope, along with his cousin and former NFL star Gerald Dixon, was honored by the Bearcat Backers booster club with a distinction that the two now solely own with their jersey retirements. Hope's #4 and Dixon's #5 jerseys will be on display for all to see who enter RHHS gymnasium.
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| S4S/Cole Haan event photo: Tracy Smith (President, Cole Haan, Global Commerce), Chris Hope (NFL All-Pro Safety & Soles4Souls Spokesperson) and Wayne Elsey (Founder & CEO, Soles4Souls) – Photo Credit Michael Gomez |
"Most significant, however, is my family. They have been tremendously loving, encouraging and so unselfish throughout my entire football career," Hope said. "They are my rock and their support is the most important thing in the world to me."
The formal dinner ceremony held last month included a silent and live auction, with several items being donated by Hope himself.
"I will always give back to Rock Hill High athletics, they have always claimed me as their own, and the memories I have from playing there are some of the best of my life," Hope said.
Not only has Hope given back to his high school and hometown community, but locally in Nashville he recently attended the kickoff event for the Soles4Souls/ Cole Haan partnership where customers could donate new or gently used shoes to Soles4Souls in exchange for a great discount on purchases from Cole Haan.
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| Chris Hope visits with a young fan at Rocketown for the "Clean Break" event. |
Additionally, Hope recently partnered with Cumberland Heights for "Clean Break," where he spent one Saturday afternoon in March at Rocketown sharing his personal story of staying away from drugs and alcohol with several hundred Nashville high school students. "Clean Break" was a music event held exclusively for the teens to encourage a clean and sober spring break.
