Ishpeming football team at Sports Illustrated Banquet

 

Being at a Sports Illustrated event is one thing, but meeting the likes of NBA Superstar LeBron James at the event is another.

Members of the Ishpeming football team attended the Sports Illustrated “Sportsman of the Year” ceremony last night in New York City.

The state champions mingled on the red carpet with current and former athletes, such as James and former University of Rutgers football player Eric Legrand, who suffered an injury playing football back in 2010 that paralyzed him from the waist down.

During the ceremony, parts of from the “Underdogs” video about Ishpeming High School football player Eric Dompierre were played in front of the entire audience.

The Hematites won the trip to New York to attend the Sportsman of the Year event and a $25,000 program grant from Sports Illustrated.

LeBron James was named the 2012 Sportsman of the Year. He accepted the award from Duke Men’s Basketball head coach Mike Krzyewski, who won the award last year.

After the ceremony, the team was invited to the after party at Dave and Busters, where they took part in playing video games and dining with people from the ceremony.

The team will spend today in New York, before making their way back to Ishpeming on Friday.