University Of Kansas Football Team Signs Frankie Fergus Through Team Impact
University Of Kansas Football Team Signs Frankie Fergus Through Team Impact
Two-year program will include participation in team activities, practice, games, and other team events
Lawrence, KS – August 10, 2024 – Today, the University of Kansas Jayhawks football team announced a new team member, 14-year-old Franklin “Frankie” Fergus, through the non-profit Team IMPACT. The Lawrence native, Frankie, lives with neurofibromatosis, a genetic condition that causes changes in skin pigment and tumors on nerve tissue. He officially signed with the Jayhawks today at the Anderson Family Football Complex, formally beginning his tenure with the football team. As part of his two-year journey, Frankie will participate in many activities with the team, including games, practices and other team events, with clinical facilitation from Team IMPACT.
Frankie was connected with the Jayhawks by Team IMPACT, a national non-profit organization that has developed a unique multiyear program that matches children facing serious illness and disability with college athletic teams throughout the U.S. Based on a clinical model, Team IMPACT guides a symbiotic relationship between teams and children focused on socialization, empowerment, and resilience.
The University of Kansas Athletics has worked with Team IMPACT since 2018, with nine all-time matches to Jayhawks rosters and Team IMPACT teammates currently signed to the football, volleyball, softball, and men’s basketball teams.
Frankie and his family first heard of Team IMPACT through Campus Apartments, a national leader in the student housing sector with on-campus and off-campus offerings across the country. Campus Apartments has been a partner of Team IMPACT since 2023, hosting hubs for their annual All In 5K and supporting them as an organizational nonprofit partner.
While Frankie was receiving treatment for his diagnosis shortly after birth, his mother was employed by Campus Apartments, which has continued to foster a supportive relationship with the family throughout the years. Through this relationship, the Fergus family became aware of Team IMPACT and knew they wanted Frankie to be a part of the program and join a team.
“Our relationship with Frankie started when his mother, Jane, shared the incredible news that she was expecting over 14 years ago when she was a team member with us,” said Helen A. Marshall, Executive Vice President of Human Resources at Campus Apartments. “Jane, her husband Fred, and Frankie will always be part of the Campus Apartments family and we have been cheering on Frankie since the day he was born. To be able to connect Frankie with our partners at Team IMPACT speaks to the strides Frankie has made and feels like a full circle moment to mark his bright future.”