This meaningful Minnesota football game could become many

Braden Long will remove his last name from the back of his New London-Spicer football jersey and wear a different name for Friday's home game against Glencoe-Silver Lake. Teammate Matthew Gehrke will do the same.

They are honored to do so.

Long will represent the Essler family on his uniform. Gehrke will wear the last name Slinden on his back.

In all, 10 New-London Spicer players will have different names on their jerseys as a tribute to veterans and first responders from their community who have died in the line of duty.

Glencoe-Silver Lake was invited to participate as well, with 10 players exchanging their last name for the name of a fallen service member from their community.

Friday's game marks the third season that New-London Spicer has hosted their Minnesota Fallen Heroes Game. The event was founded by Tracy and Rick Clark, parents of Ryane Clark, a New London-Spicer athlete who died while deployed to Afghanistan in 2010.

"He's a hometown boy and probably 10 years after the fact, new people [in town] didn't know who he was," Rick Clark said. "What a cool way of honoring all the soldiers and first responders in our area."

The game is only part of the program. A ceremony is held before the game to share background information on each service member. Players learn the story of those they are honoring.

The visiting team receives a motorcycle escort to the school from the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association.

The 20 Gold Star family members are escorted onto the field by their player representative as their loved one's bio is read over the public address system. The ceremony also includes a flyover.

"The very first time we did this, we were so impressed with these kids," Tracy Clark said. "They were so mature and so respectful."

The emotion was evident in Myles Macik's voice in a phone call a year later. He wore Clark's name in the game last season.

"He gave everything to our country," said Macik, now a freshman at South Dakota State. "This is the least I can do."

Macik was so touched by the honor that he made a plaque for Rick and Tracy that included photos of him during the game and a handwritten note.

His words: "I am truly honored to have been given the opportunity to represent Ryane this past football season. It was an incredible privilege to honor him. Ryane's legacy will never be forgotten and I am forever thankful for his sacrifice to this country."

The Clarks handle research for both teams in selecting the fallen heroes. They visit historical societies, American Legions, VFWs and fire and police departments to compile bios of the service members from different generations.

Ryane Clark, who played football at New London-Spicer, is one of the 10 honored every year. He was 22 years old when he was killed in action. Friday is the 14th anniversary of that day. The Clarks will be surrounded by other Gold Star families on the football field.

"It's going to be hard," Tracy said. "The more people who can be around, the easier I feel it is."

Dan Essler will be there beside them. The Hall of Fame coach led New London-Spicer's football program for 21 years, winning a state title in 2009. He retired but has returned to coach the defense.

Essler's older brother Ronnie was 22 years old when he was killed while serving in Vietnam. Essler was 4½ years old when his brother died. He still remembers an officer knocking on the door at the family home on Thanksgiving Day in 1967.

"That lives with me and lives with my family," he said.

Long, a senior, will wear the Essler name on his uniform Friday.

"It's an honor that I can represent a hero who fought for our country," Long said. "I will play hard with his name on my back."

Gehrke's dad Joshua served in the Army, so the junior linebacker feels a strong connection to being part of this game.

"I've always wanted to represent veterans," Gehrke said. "I've always been raised to honor them and support them in any way I could."

New London-Spicer has found a special way to do that. The hope here is that other schools follow suit and make this an annual tradition in communities across Minnesota.