Before he became one of Georgia's most decorated quarterbacks, Aaron Murray got involved.
Once he arrived on Georgia's campus in 2010, Murray immediately began volunteering with Extra Special People. Over a decade later, the bond between ESP and the Georgia football program is stronger than ever.
"Everyone who comes to all these events, whether it’s Big Hearts, our golf tournament, you just walk away saying, these kids are the best," Murray said. "They just want to love on you and hang out with you and just be treated like any other kid, man. That’s the goal of all this. We want to create experiences for these kids. Especially now as a father, I want everything for my kids. For these kids to go enjoy camp, enjoy playing sports, enjoy whatever it is. It’s been 13 years now with ESP and I'm loving every moment of it."
Murray's latest involvement came at the ESP Big Ball Fore All golf tournament held at The Georgia Club. The tournament raised over $150,000 for ESP Atlanta.
Several of Murray's former teammates, including Amarlo Herrera, Michael Bennett, Marlon Brown, and more participated, along with their former quarterback. Current Bulldogs such as Brock Bowers, Carson Beck, Brock Vandagriff, Gunner Stockton, Brett Thorson, and more played as well.
Bridging the two eras was quarterback Jake Fromm.
"We love it," Fromm said. "Any opportunity for us to give back, and then for us, it’s a great time. You kind of go into it thinking it’s for them, and you want to kind of create an experience for them. But it ends up being so much more for us—heart-fulfilling, and just a great time. They do such a great job here at ESP. The kids are unbelievable. We love them to death."
Fromm became extensively involved with ESP in his own right during his time at Georgia. He learned about the organization from those before him and helped those who came after get involved as well. The pipeline continued with the presence of Beck, Vandagriff, Stockton, and others.
"I think we’ve done a good job and Laura’s (Laura Hope Whitaker, ESP CEO) done a good job of every year, trying to keep the tradition up of football players and just all student-athletes in general," Murray said. "Every year, we’re getting new guys to come out and be escorts for the Big Hearts pageant. They still have a big-time relationship with Kirby. You see the kids out at practice all the time. I think it’s kind of a thing now. It’s been for a while, where ESP and Georgia football kind of go together. These kids love looking up to the football guys."
Hope Whitaker called Murray "the champion of champions" for ESP. His emotion bubbled over before the Big Ball Fore All event, when Murray repeatedly choked up while addressing the golfers before the start of their rounds.
A relationship that started 13 years ago has now grown into a bond that is hugely beneficial for both sides.
"They love the football players," Murray said. "That’s why, like I said, we want to make sure every year that the freshmen, the sophomores, the young guys, make the connection with these kids, because as soon as you meet them, you’re going to want, hey, what more can I do, what more can I do? These kids, I love when they get the helmets and the shoulder pads on at practice. Georgia football’s special, and ESP’s the same thing here."
