Springfield Gardens football player nominated for “Heart of a Giant” award

Springfield Gardens High School football player Jordan Kirkland. Photo courtesy of USA Football Heart of a Giant Award.

By David Brand

Springfield Gardens High School senior Jordan Kirkland was nominated last week for USA Football’s Heart of a Giant Award — an honor for outstanding football player in the Tri-State area.

The awards are presented by the New York Giants and the Hospital for Special Surgery. All six finalists and four honorable mention finalists will receive $1,000 for their high school’s football program. The winner’s school earns an additional $9,000.

Kirkland, a Jamaica native, tore his ACL and meniscus playing football his sophomore year, but he gutted through seven months of physical therapy to return to the field.

“If it wasn’t for football, I don’t think that I would have been able to understand that an injury can’t determine the rest of your life,” he said.

Springfield Gardens High School Head Coach Charles Yarborough said Kirkland “fought through a lot of frustration knowing that he had not completely recovered from his injury.”

“That said, he always remained positive and upbeat and continued to do what he needed to do to work back to form,” Yarborough added.