Former Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones made a spontaneous visit to Troy on Wednesday morning, April 6. His goal was to surprise a personal friend and fan, Troy Christian kindergarten student Owen Greil. Greil’s parents Fred and Valerie had known about the visit and had helped make the surprise possible. It was the shock and joy of a lifetime for Owen and his friends as they spoke with the athlete during normal class time. Jones’ visit coincided with a general assembly that Troy Christian had planned for the purpose of recognizing Matt Buehrer of Thrivent Financial in Tipp City for his service to the community. Not wanting to miss a golden opportunity, administrators at Troy Christian asked Jones if he could extemporaneously address the children and their parents. In an unexpected twist, he agreed.

According to Shelly Calvert, Troy Christian’s PR liaison, Jones “demonstrated poise and did not miss a beat.” He kept Owen Greil with him for the duration of his time on the school’s campus, including the entire time he stood on the stage in the Troy Christian gymnasium. Jones spoke pointedly to the gathered children and their parents about the importance of serving and giving-back to the community. He repeatedly honored Buehrer with his remarks, lionizing his example and thanking him for his involvement in the community. Administrators were amazed at the gravity it brought to the special chapel event to have a guest like Jones share. “He’s an amazing role model and is so great with the children,” Calvert said. “They listened intently to him when he talked about selflessly serving one another.” Jones gave an abundance of autographs, took a lot of pictures, and gave many hugs. He stayed at the school for more than 3 hours.

Administrators at Troy Christian said that Owen was proud and happy to have had Cardale Jones come to his class and meet his friends. The influence of his visit on students of Troy Christian Elementary is sure to be felt for a long time.