Chicken Express and Dave Campbell’s Texas Football are partnering to honor the heroes in your community. Male and female student-athletes that lead by example on the field of play and in the classroom can be honored as Chicken Express Community Heroes and receive scholarship money to continue their education beyond high school.

KALEB CALDWELL - PAMPA

“Whenever you watch him on film, you notice whenever he’s tackled he’s always moving forward,” Pampa head football coach Greg Poynor explains. “The first guy to hit him very seldom tackles him.”

Coach Poynor is talking about his talented senior running back Kaleb Caldwell. And that quote not only perfectly summarizes Kaleb’s toughness between the white lines but also his remarkable resilience off it. Kaleb always manages to keep moving forward.

Kaleb’s mother, Terrie, passed away at the way too young age of 39 when he was just starting his high school career. Fighting back from that type of adversity is not for the faint of heart.

“Kaleb is a great football player but a better person,” his coach says. “He has taken a difficult situation growing up and made himself into the man he is today.  He is a great student and a leader in his class. Kaleb is a fierce competitor, a hard worker, and a pleasure to coach.”

For all those reasons and many more Kaleb Caldwell is our Chicken Express Community Hero of the Month.

“This mean a lot to me,” Kaleb says. “It’s been rough at times but it’s taught me to be strong and the best I can possibly be on and off the field.”

On the field, Caldwell is a hard-charging running back who is constantly pinballing off would-be tacklers. He helped catapult the Harvesters to an 8-2 regular season – their two losses came at the hands of top-ranked state teams in Estacado and Dumas. Off the field, Kaleb helps his community wherever and whenever he can even though his schedule is usually nothing short of chaotic. 

Kaleb Caldwell proves daily that fighting for every yard can be very rewarding personally and for his entire community.

ELLA MCMAHAN - KINGSVILLE KING

Ella McMahan plans a career in criminal justice when she leaves Kingsville, which perfectly fits her personality on and off the field. Ella is a playmaker on the soccer field, always getting the right person the ball at the right moment. Off the field, Ella also puts folks in a position to succeed as a volunteer for the National Honor Society and with her church.

“Soccer comes natural at this point since I’ve been playing since I’ve been 5 years old,” Ella says. “I’ve always enjoyed playing whatever position the coaches put me at. I’m playing forward right now but I’ve also gotten a chance to play a bit more defense this past year and that’s been a lot of fun. Goalie is about the only spot that I’d say no to. Goalie just isn’t for me.”

Ella’s aversion to putting on the goalie gloves aside, she’s usually a step-forward type of a person throughout her high school career. Because of that, she’s our Chicken Express Community Hero for the month of November.

“It’s really cool to be spotlighted for doing good stuff off the field as well as on it,” Ella says. “I know my previous coach nominated me, which means a lot. Hoping for a big season this year and really looking forward to going to college as that next step.”

Seems to us that wherever that next step takes Ella, the community of Kingsville is lucky to have had her representing.