Motivation with a Purpose: Gridiron Heroes

Serving Texas and beyond, Gridiron Heroes is the only organization of its kind offering specific resources to the athlete and his family impacted by spinal chord injury. We speak with Gridiron Heroes founder Eddie Canales, his son Chris, who was paralyzed in a high school football game, and Bobby Hosea, a youth football coach who has developed a safe way to tackle.

Gridiron Heroes

Gridiron Heroes Spinal Cord Injury Foundation provides immediate, as well as, long term resources and support to individuals sustaining a catastrophic spinal cord injury through activities associated with high school football.


Gridiron Heroes is a 501 (C) 3 Non-Profit organization.

Train \'em Up Academy

In 2006, Coach Bobby Hosea founded Train ‘Em Up Academy, Inc. (TEUA), a 501 (C) 3 Not-for-Profit Corporation to help attract the financial support needed to spread his tackling safety and performance curriculum throughout the country. In June of 2011, a scientific research study proved that the “Hosea-Method” lowers helmet first impact by 43% (100% of the CROWN) while performing a FORM tackle.

Chris Canales

On November 2, 2001, Chris Canales, a senior defensive back playing for San Marcos Baptist Academy, sustained a spinal cord injury during the fourth quarter of his final regular season game. Chris lay motionless on the field for 19 minutes. The next three weeks, Chris fought for his life. The following months he battled through rehabilitation trying to gain movement and learning how to function as a quadriplegic. Chris’ injury and the lack of any organized support system for families prompted his father, Eddie Canales, the Canales family, and former coach Mike Kipp to begin discussions about the desperate need for an organization for families who were forced to deal with the consequences of this devastating injury. In November of 2002, Chris and Eddie were in attendance at the Texas 3A State Championship football game in the Alamodome, in San Antonio. There they witnessed another spinal cord injury. This time it was Everman defensive back, Corey Fulbright. Chris turned to his Dad and said, “We need to go and help them. I know what he (Corey) is going to go through, and you know what the family will have to go through.” Inspired by the compassion of Chris, Eddie and Mike Kipp formed Gridiron Heroes Spinal Cord Injury Foundation. Articles of Incorporation were filed in February of 2003, and a 501(C) 3 Tax exempt status was obtained in May of the same year. Through a grant written by Eddie & his dad, Coach Robert M. Canales, funds received helped kick-off its first year.

Gridiron Heroes

Bobby Hosea

Bobby began his football career in the 9th grade as a 135 pound offensive guard. He
parlayed those humble beginnings into becoming a 2-year starting corner back at UCLA in
1977-78. He was named Most Inspirational Player his senior year. He went on to play 5
years of professional football: first with the Montreal Alouettes / Saskatchewan Roughriders
of the Canadian Football League (CFL) for 3 years, 1979-82; later with the Los Angeles
Express / Jacksonville Bulls of the United States Football League (USFL) 1982-83.
Serendipity intervened when the charismatic Hosea was cast in a Safeway Supermarket
commercial. That single commercial opened the doorway to what would become a
successful acting career. In an industry known for its short attention span, Bobby’s career
has been vibrant for an incredible 30 years. An accomplished actor, Hosea has appeared in
countless television series, commercials, and pilots; has starred in a number of
made-for-television movies; as well as theatrical films. He stars in The Veteran, a film by
Sydney Furie, just released on DVD this year. Bobby has recently guest-starred on NCIS,
Cold Case, CSI. 24,Shark, Heroes, Supernatural, Crossing Jordan, Young & The Restless
and can be seen in a recurrent role on ABC Family Channel’s Lincoln Heights.

Coach Bobby Hosea\'s Train Em Up Academy