TEMPE, Ariz. — A first meeting that was truly life-changing. That's what happened outside of Arizona State University's Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Friday.
"It just really comes to show you the whole Valley is really activated right now," ASU linebacker Jordan Crook said while standing in front of his new car.
His old car died in early November when he stopped at a stop light and smoke started pouring out from under the hood of his Nissan Altima.
"I got out (of) the car fast," Crook said. "I grabbed everything. I didn't really know what I was going to do, to be honest."
Out of options and without a ride, Crook posted on social media asking if there were any local car deals out there.
"(Crook's car) was in bad shape, it had seen better days," Parker Jones, the general manager of Jones Ford Verde Valley, said.
Jones is a Sun Devil and wanted to help because he quickly realized Crook needed a new ride.
"(We) brought it up to our dealership in Camp Verde and realized quickly that repairs weren't really going to be an option," Jones said. "It’s not in my nature to just not do something."
Jones posted Crook's story on the recruiting website SunDevilSource asking for help raising $15,000 so Crook could buy a used SUV that Jones found for him.
"(I) put a challenge out there to the to the message board, and said, 'Hey, here's an idea we got. Let's see if we can't do something as a community to take care of our own,'" Jones said. "And within 10 hours, we had raised $15,000 to make this happen for him."
And just a week before Thanksgiving, Crook signed the paperwork to buy his new car outside of Mountain America Stadium.
"What’s cool about this is this vehicle is his," Jones said. "This isn't a lease. It's not a borrowed car agreement. He's not giving it back in five or six months. This is his."
"It's crazy how this comes full circle,” Crook said. "My pops drove Expeditions growing up. So to have my own now, it means a lot."
It has been a great season for the Sun Devils, who have a record of 8-2 ahead of their home game against BYU on Saturday.
This moment adds to the list of great moments of what has truly been a season to remember in Tempe.
"I just want to say thank you," Crook said. "What’s going on right now, it’s not on accident. I'm sure by the time I get back up here this evening, I'll have to take somebody home and (somebody is going to) want to ride around."
This makes Crook extra thankful to be a Sun Devil.
“Thank you Sun Devil fans. Thank you Parker. I'm blessed.”
ASU and BYU will square off at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to four major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale.
Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events every year, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the WM Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall, including Championship Weekend in November; and Cactus League Spring Training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.
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