Tripp Trinidad finally found his team.
He joined the UTSA football equipment crew in September as a student manager in his first year at the school. In less than two months, he’s already endeared himself to the entire Roadrunners program.
“I love telling people about it. It honestly makes me feel really cool,” said Trinidad about his new job. “I love spending my time here. You can ask anyone. If I can be here, I'll be here.”
Trinidad was born with a rare genetic disorder called Apert syndrome. It caused skull deformities and the fusing of some of the fingers on his hands and toes on his feet.
“I can be more than what's expected of me,” said Trinidad about his condition. “People might look at people and expect less of them, but this gives me an opportunity to prove myself, what I can do, and what I'm capable of. It gives me a passion to push for more.”
He’s had five surgeries to try and alleviate the physical issues.
“He doesn't let that hold him back,” said UTSA director of equipment operations Tyler Renard. “He doesn't want to be treated any different. He wants to be able to do all the things that everybody else does.”
Things like helping with quarterback drills in practice, shagging footballs during games and preparing the locker room at the Alamodome.
“I’m not out there scoring touchdowns or catching great passes, but I'm behind the scenes and I'm making sure that the team has everything that they need,” Trinidad said.
Performing every task with a big smile on his face.
“The moment I met Tripp, I knew that I wanted him around our program,” Renaud said. “His enthusiasm every single day is unwavering. No matter what you ask him to do, he is willing to do it and he's gonna give 100 percent.”
Never taking his opportunity for granted.
“Sometimes people feel like we're expendables, but this team does a great job of making sure that we're appreciated and we’re cared for,” Trinidad said. “Everyone's part of a team here. We're all family.”
And family takes care of each other, which is how Sincere McCormick’s shark backpack became the symbol of Tripp’s impact on the entire team.
“I was like, ‘Hey Sincere, how much for your backpack?’ And we kind of just laughed about it and thought it was a joke,” Trinidad said.
A few days later, Trinidad and the junior running back talked about the Sprayground backpack again. It dawned on McCormick how much it would mean to Tripp.
“It doesn’t matter what's going on. You can just give somebody a backpack or whatever, show that you love them and you care for them and that you don't treat them no different,” McCormick said.
A gesture of appreciation from the team’s star to one of the program’s newest addition.
“It wasn't special to me because of how great the bag is,” Trinidad said. “Sincere is a very special person to me, everybody on the team is. For him to do that for me, just means a lot to me. It was the reason why, rather than the object of the reason.”
A sign that Tripp was one of the guys.
“He wears it everywhere. To the game, to practice, he’s probably taking it to the shower,” McCormick joked. “He loves his backpack.”
Trinidad then thanked McCormick in an emotional video, which McCormick shared on social media.
“That's who Tripp is when it comes to everything in his life, he's very passionate about everything,” Renard said. “His love for all of this is something that's refreshing. It kind of reminds you why you get into this.”
Perspective from an energetic kid named Tripp, whose impact on the UTSA football program will last far beyond the football field.
“It's honestly really hard to describe,” Trinidad said. “It’s just so emotional for me that I'm part of something special. That's what it is, it’s really just special. The friendships that I’ve made, not only with my equipment team, but with the football players, with the coaches, with the staff, everybody … I just love them.”
