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A midstate teen got the shock of a lifetime after the Tennessee Titans surprised him with free tickets to the Super Bowl next year.
Shivan Abdullah, quarterback at Cane Ridge High School in Antioch, is getting the trip of a lifetime in February thanks to the Titans and the NFL, which asked each team to chose one person they believe should go to the Super Bowl, per WKRN.
According to Tina Tuggle, vice president of community impact for the Titans, Abdullah was chosen to receive the honor after the organization learned more about his family and how he represents his community's growing Kurdish community.
"I had heard about the story of the young man that we selected and was inspired by his family story," said Tuggle. "The Kurdish community is huge; it's probably one of the largest fanbases that we have and they do a lot."
Abdullah's head coach, Eddie Woods, also praised the teen's contributions to both his school and the community at large, adding that he is deserving of the honor awarded to him by the Titans.
"I don't think he really understands the impact he has had on the diversity of what he is doing," said Woods. "They are trying to do a lot of things with the Kurdish community, we have about 30 different languages spoken here, and the impact he has in this building at this schools, the kids talk highly of him. He's making history in a sense, and I've very proud of him."
The teen still can't believe he was chosen to go to the Big Game, saying it likely won't sink in until he's actually there.
"This really is a one-in-a-million chance. I feel blessed, that's the best word to describe it, blessed, because not many people have this opportunity like I do," he said, adding, "It really hasn't hit me and it's not going to hit me until the Super Bowl comes up."