TYLER, Texas — It's not every day you meet someone who has been part of two of the most iconic high school and college football programs in America. It's even more rare to see that person go on to become a two-time Super Bowl champion.
That's where Tyler High alum Aaron Ross comes in.
As a senior playing for CUJO, Ross helped Tyler High reach the 2000 Class 5A Division II state title game. During his last year with the Lions, Ross recorded six picks, three fumble recoveries and three blocked kicks earning him second-team All-State honors and a scholarship to the University of Texas.
As a junior at UT in 2005, Ross was part of the Longhorns' national championship team. A year later, he earned the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given to the nation's top college defensive back.
His skills on the gridiron led the New York Giants to pluck Ross with the 20th pick in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft.
A year later would be the first time Ross would call himself a Super Bowl champion. The Giants took down the New England Patriots 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII on February 3, 2008.
Ross' second Super Bowl ring was earned after a rematch between the Giants and the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI on February 5, 2012. Ross was a defensive started for the Giants when they, once again, defeated the Patriots 21-17.
The former Tyler High Lion also saw stints in Jacksonville, Baltimore and Cleveland.
In 2003, Ross began dating Longhorn track and field star Sanya Richards, who is now a four-time Olympic gold medalist. The two got engaged in 2007 and were married on February 26, 2010. The couple welcomed their first child, Aaron Jermaine Ross II, on August 12, 2017.
Now, Ross partners with CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Sports Medicine to put on a free annual football camp for athletes ages 8-17.
“Playing in college, winning a Super Bowl and making it all the way to the top of the National Football League would not have been possible without the right attitude and training, starting at an early age,” says Ross. “Putting in the work now, giving maximum effort and learning how to play the game the right way will help players of every skill level and age to improve – and getting better every day is what it’s all about.”
The #bEASTTexas icon also selects 10 lucky campers to go on a $100 shopping spree prior to the start of camp. For Ross, the ability to give back to where you came from is something he holds close to his heart.
Even though Ross has shined on every stage throughout his athletic career, he's never forgotten the roots that were instilled in him while living in East Texas.
Super Bowl LVIII kicks off Sunday, February 11, at 5:30 p.m. only on CBS19.
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