Milford's Chris Kiley Nominated for Heart of a Giant Award

Chris Kiley, currently a starting Varsity football player for Saint Joseph High School, recently received recognition from his coaching staff when they nominated him for USA Football's Heart of a Giant award, presented by the New York Giants and the Hospital for Special Surgery. This award recognizes student athletes for a tireless commitment to local community needs, upstanding moral character and the ability to inspire others.

As a week 5 nominee, Chris is competing against nine fellow student athletes from Connecticut, New Jersey and New York, and he is working to collect votes to move into the next round. Voting can be done once every 24 hours through multiple devices through October 27th.

Voting and Chris' full profile can be accessed through the following link: https://usafootball.com/hoagvote/

In late 2018, Chris' dad was diagnosed with lymphoma. Chris supported his family by taking on additional responsibilities at home. Chris and his dad spent lots of time talking about Saint Joe’s football during chemo treatments and the following recovery periods.

Football is a pretty big deal for the Kiley family. Chris' dad has been the resident Hogs mascot for all of the school's home games for the last two years. The goal had been to feel good enough to attend the majority of games this upcoming season.

At the start of the 2019 high school football season, Chris tore his meniscus in two spots. That meant surgery and physical therapy. "While devastating initially on a personal level, especially as a high school senior, I took this as a challenge to work hard and regain my strength as quickly as possible. I also saw an opportunity to mentor a less experienced player, and I have found that to be pretty rewarding," according to Chris. "Human willpower, faith and community support count for so much."

"After two additional treatments that included a stronger chemo plan and a brand-new cell transplant procedure, I am happy to say my dad’s last exam showed that he is now in remission and he is present at my games. I may still be on the sidelines for a bit longer, but my dad is my inspiration."

Off the field, Chris is proud of his community service work. "I make sure to take the Saint Joe’s message of privilege and responsibility seriously. I achieved over 100 volunteer service hours last year by working at a local homeless shelter. By doing something I enjoy, namely cooking, I was able to put my skills to use and improve the living conditions of those less fortunate than me."

Consider helping Chris move into the next round of this competition. The grand prize winner will receive a $10,000 equipment grant for their school.