“Gridiron Heroes: The Hill Chris Climbed,” is a documentary film based on the true story of Chris Canales, a former star defender for San Marcos Academy who suffered a spinal cord injury during his Senior Night football game that paralyzed him from the shoulders down.
To this day, he and his father Eddie Canales travel across the country to teach kids how to prevent spinal cord and brain injuries that arise on the football field. Eddie and Chris have established the name Gridiron Heroes for those across the country who have suffered from a catastrophic spinal cord or brain injury while playing high school football.
The film features a few celebrity stars, athletes and coaches who all preach the same message Eddie and Chris believe today.
Taylor Kitsch, better known as Tim Riggins from the hit T.V. series, “Friday Night Lights” is the narrator of the film. Former NFL legend quarterback Brett Favre speaks about the risks of playing football, and former NFL coach Mike Ditka harps on the long-term effects the game has on the minds of players long after their playing days.
TexasHSFootball‘s CEO Ron Oswalt has built a close relationship with the Canales family since Chris’s injury. Last month, Gridiron Heroes donated two wheelchair accessible vans to kinds in California.
On Thursday, Canales’ next stop will be the Dallas Cowboys training camp in Oxnard, Calif. to evangelize the importance of preventing such injuries.
The film will debut as the headlining documentary at the HollyShorts Film Festival on August 22 at 10 p.m. at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood, Calif.
