I could really care less who wins the Superbowl BUT!
After reading the following article that was in the DM Registrar today,
“I’M A RAMS FAN”
SUPER BOWL LVI
Former Hawkeye Gervase playing for Gleeson
Matt Levins
Des Moines Register USA TODAY NETWORK
When Jake Gervase made his first visit to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital in Iowa City as a member of the Iowa football team in 2017, he wasn’t quite sure what to expect. By the time the Davenport Assumption graduate left, he had made a friend for life.
Gervase, who is now in his third season as a defensive back for the Los Angeles Rams, struck up a friendship with Reid Gleeson, the son of Bill and Megan Gleeson. Reid Gleeson was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma, a form of childhood cancer that affects the central nervous system.
Over the next three years, Gleeson and Gervase became close friends, even after Gleeson was released from the hospital and went back to the family home in Davenport. The two became almost inseparable, spending hours together playing, laughing and having fun.
On Oct. 13, 2020, Gleeson died after a three-year battle and numerous surgeries. He was just 5 years old.
Gervase, who plays primarily special teams for the Rams and has recorded a pair of tackles this season, has continued to support the Gleeson family and the Rally For Reid Foundation, which raises money to support children and families impacted by childhood cancer and to support research to help find a cure for brain tumors.
Last summer, Gervase teamed with former Hawkeyes Tristan Wirfs, Josey Jewell, Nate Stanley, Ben Neimann, Parker Hesse, Nick Easley, Keith Duncan, Jack Heflin and Sean Beyer to help with the first Rally for Reid Football Camp in Davenport, which hosted over 500 campers and raised almost $60,000 for the foundation.
So when Gervase takes the field Sunday with the Rams for Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, he not only will be representing the Rams and Iowa, but Reid Gleeson, his close friend whom he loves dearly.
“Reid made a huge impact on me,” Gervase told The Burlington Hawkeye. “ I am happy to not only raise money for families in similar situations and the continued battle against pediatric cancer, but to also keep Reid’s legacy alive and spread the joy and love he brought to our world.”
Gleeson enjoyed playing ninja warrior, throwing water balloons, doing trick shots, driving his gator, golfing, swimming, going to parks and most of all, spending time with his family and his best friend, Gervase.
During his illustrious Iowa football career that began as a walk- on and ended with 147 tackles and seven interceptions, Gervase would swing over to the
Gleeson’s house to spend time with Reid whenever he had some free time when he was back home in Davenport.
“When Jake first came to visit Reid in the hospital, it was when Reid was going through treatment for brain cancer,” said Megan Gleeson, a graduate of Notre Dame High School in Burlington. “ They hit it off right away. He and Reid became best buddies. Jake would come and visit Reid frequently and spend time with him. Reid loved Jake and Jake loved Reid.
“Sometimes he would meet us at the park and he and Reid would go for walks and play on all the playground equipment. He and Reid would throw the football around, shoot baskets and play baseball. He really was Reid’s best friend.”
Gervase reached out to Bill and Megan Gleeson about starting a Rally For Reid Football Camp to help raise money and awareness for childhood cancer. They put everything together last spring and summer, and the camp was held June 27 at St. Vincent Athletic Complex in Davenport.
“Jake was captain of the Iowa football team and he was very well-respected,” Megan Gleeson said. “He reached out to some former Hawkeyes and they were all excited to help. He came up with a pretty impressive list of players.”
Already, Gervase and Gleeson are making plans for the 2022 Rally For Reid Football Camp, which will be held at St. Ambrose University in Davenport.
So when Super Bowl LVI kicks off late Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles, Gervase will be playing for a lot of the people closest to him, including Reid Glee-son, his best friend who has been an inspiration to him since the day they met.
“It was really nice of Jake to do all of this for Reid,” Megan Gleeson said. “I didn’t really know of Jake at all before all this, but now I am a huge football fan. We will all be cheering for the Rams.”
The Los Angeles Rams’ Jake Gervase, right, rams rests Reid Gleeson on his knee during a visit. SUBMITTED PHOTO
