Chicago Bears have announced one of the nine total winners for their Community High School All-Star Award is South’s very own Owen McGuire. Owen is one of two senior varsity quarterbacks and one of the captains on the varsity football team.

“I was genuinely surprised when I won the award, I had no idea I was even going to get it. [When] I was presented with it I was just in shock,” McGuire said.

From March through May, the Bears will recognize nine high school football players in Illinois who show success and positivity on and off the field.

Each winner receives a custom hand-painted football, a gift bag, and an invitation to a future Bears event. The Bears also make a 500-dollar donation to a charity of the player’s choice. McGuire chose the Fox Valley Special Recreation, a recreation center that empowers people with disabilities to live active and healthy lives with therapeutic recreation and leisure activities.

McGuire was nominated for the award by his varsity coach, William Bicker, who attributed McGuire’s nomination to his continuous dedication to helping others. Bickers said McGuire shows excellence inside and outside of school and on and off the field.

“We have our saying the core four: be respectful, be responsible, be hardworking, and be caring, so it’s always great when you have a young man on your team who models those things and is just an embodiment of all of them,” Bicker said

Bicker has been the football coach at South for six years and has had McGuire on his team for four of those six. Bicker leads his team with pride along with the core four ideas in mind and hopes his team can learn from McGuire’s win and embody what being a true Cougar is really about.

“It’s a big win for us and what we’re trying to model about the traits that are going to make you successful in life, about being good people and how that’s more important about necessarily being a great athlete,” said Bicker.

According to his coaches, McGuire is a great example to his fellow teammates, showing them how following the core four can lead everyone to success. His dedication to help and constant encouragement to his teammates and community is what led to his recognition.

“He’s a great role model. He sets a good example for the team and younger players. I got moved up to varsity knowing absolutely nobody and he took me under his wing and made me feel welcome,” said varsity quarterback Connor Folliard, McGuires close friend and fellow teammate.

McGuire has committed to St. Francis University in Joliet, next year. He plans to major in education and minor in math to become a high school math teacher and football coach himself. McGuire is involved in the chess team, National Honors Society, PSLC, and was in track and field his freshman, sophomore, and junior year. He also has helped in his church for around 6 to 7 years and has received community service hours from it.

“[Plainfield South] taught me how to compete, not just on the field but in the classroom as well. It taught me to overcome my challenges and obstacles. It taught me to never give up, to be strong, and just continue to believe in myself,” McGuire said.