by WSFA
Jerry Kocan loves his Ohio State Buckeyes. He goes to a lot of games and has quite a collection of Buckeye gear. When he learned a young man from Pike Road, Alabama, was playing for his team, he decided to do a little more.
“To see a kid from Montgomery, Alabama, play for Ohio St., it was unbelievable,” said Kocan, who owns FourStar Freightliner. “To see him have that success made my heart full.”
Before the 2024 season Pike Road native Quinshon Judkins transferred from Ole Miss to Ohio St. He was a state champ at Pike Road High School and a star for two years at Ole Miss. Kocan and FourStar Freightliner worked out an NIL deal when Judkins transferred to Ohio St. The Kocan family is very involved with the Alabama Kidney Foundation. They were in charge of fundraising in 2024 and asked Quinshon to join them for the local Kidney Walk fundraiser.
“I decided to do a donation to the Alabama Kidney Foundation, just being a person from Montgomery, Alabama, and he’s an Ohio St. alumni,” said Judkins.
That’s when Kocan made a bold pledge, a $1,000 donation to the Alabama Kidney Foundation for every touchdown Judkins scored for Ohio St.
“I had no idea he’d score 16,” Kocan laughed. That’s $16,000 worth of touchdown money.
Asked if Quinshon was trying to break the guy, he responded, “I know, right? That’s crazy. I’m just super excited to be in this position and be here.”
The Alabama Kidney Foundation may have been the biggest Buckeye fans south of Ohio.
“I have to say I became an Ohio St. fan this college football season,” said Shannon Morrell with AKF. “We were definitely rooting for the Buckeyes. We’re so grateful for the Kocan’s generosity. The Alabama Kidney Foundation exists because of people like the Kocan family.”
It’s a friendship that may have started over football that’s now impacting people all over central Alabama. Quinshon Judkins is a whole lot more than a young man who can run the football.
“I can’t take all the credit,” said Judkins. “I have to thank God and the people who helped me get to the position I’m in today. But to have a positive impact on my community, I’m super thankful and fortunate.”
Judkins is touching lives from Ohio to Alabama, and soon he’ll be off to the NFL. Judkins is training for the NFL combine in Dallas and getting ready for the NFL Draft.
The Kocan’s set the bar very high, raising more than $300,000 last year for the Alabama Kidney Foundation.
READ MORE (Source: WSFA-NBC12)
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