G League Texas Legends

Legends Will Honor Injured Local High School Football Player

Published on December 10, 2010 under NBA G League (G League)
Texas Legends News Release


Frisco, TX (December 10, 2010) - The Texas Legends today announced that they will have a tribute to recently injured local high school football hero Diondre Preston at Tuesday night's game against the Tulsa 66ers.

Preston, a Quarterback and Free Safety for Moises E. Molina High School, was a prized recruit and being looked at by several major college programs. At 6'2, 205 pounds and elite speed, Preston had all of the tools to be a successful professional athlete some day. He entered the game on September 30 as the seventh leading rusher among class 4-A area players, with 596 yards and nine touchdowns on 68 carries.

"Diondre Preston was one of the top athletes in the metroplex." his coach Charles DeVille stated. "He was recruited by the University of Texas, Stanford and many others. He was a great athlete on the field, but his greatest accomplishments were off the field. He was the type of gentleman every father would want his daughter to marry."

However, that night everything changed for the school's homecoming king. In a game against Pinkston High School, Preston took a snap late in the fourth quarter on the 11-yard line, about to drive in for the go-ahead score. When running wide, he was met head on by a defender as their helmets collided and Preston fell instantly.

He was rushed to the hospital, where it was discovered that he had suffered an explosion of the si 4th and 5th vertebrae. His initial hospitalization costs following the injury totaled $140,000 and the end result was Preston being paralyzed and unable to move any part of his body from the neck down. The average lifetime costs for a quadriplegic at the age of 25 is $1.35 million.

A sponsor with the Legends will be donating 250 tickets, to the Legends game on Tuesday night against Tulsa, to Moises E. Molina High School, where the school will accept donations for the tickets. Any money raised from the tickets will then be donated to the Diondre Preston Fund, which will help to pay Preston's medical expenses. Also, at the game a bucket will be passed around the stands for fans to donate to the fund. Lastly, the Salvation Army will have a bell ringer at Tuesday's game and will assist in raising money for Preston.

"Our community was heart broken with the news of young Dionre's tragic accident." said Legends Owner Donnie Nelson. "There's no better partner in addressing the needs of the less fortunate than the Salvation Army. Together with the help of our fans we will have the biggest 'Season of Giving' party that the metroplex has ever seen. All proceeds from general admission tickets bought on Tuesday will be donated to Diondre. The Salvation Army has also generously donated to his recovery as well as assisting countless needy families during the Holiday season. Please be generous when you see the bell ringers. There's lots of Diondre's that need our help...now more than ever."

In the season of giving, the Legends will also be hosting WFAA Santa's Helpers toy drive prior to the game against Tulsa on Tuesday. Fans are encourage to bring new unwrapped gifts to the arena that will be distributed through 22 community agencies to North Texas families and more than 50,000 children in need.

The Legends have gotten off to a hot start in the franchise's first season. At 5-1, Texas has tied an NBA D-League record for the best start for an expansion team.

To reserve your tickets for the historic inaugural season of the Texas Legends, call 1-214-469-0822 or email info@TexLegends.com.

Check out the Texas Legends Statistics

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