ROUND ROCK, Texas — When you come to Dell Diamond this Round Rock Express season, you'll see some new faces. The team has a new manager in Doug Davis and, of course, several new players.
But there's one familiar face who is back for a second season.
For a few lucky young men, dreams come true at Dell Diamond, both on and off the field.
“This is a dream job, for sure,” Jasiel Favors said. “Especially because, you know, I'm a sports guy, so I played sports all my life.”
Favors was playing in a local high school football game eight years ago – “September 2, I’ll never forget" – when a hard tackle paralyzed him.
“I was running my fastest, full of momentum,” he said.
But for Favors, his story isn’t about what happened to him. It's about what’s next.
“I thought my life would be over,” he said. “But my life is just beginning.”
Favors is starting his second season as a greeter at Dell Diamond.
“You can expect a big smile,” he said about his work. “Making jokes, you know, making you feel comfortable.”
If the team is on the field, you can count on Favors to be close by, helping people find their seats, handing out the occasional foul ball to kids – all with a smile, even when it doesn’t come easy.
“I have down days,” Favors said, adding that, “When I come here, I leave all my problems at the door, you know. And I look to make a difference here.”
And this year, Favors is taking on a new job for a new passion he’s found: broadcasting. He’ll be making the score announcements over the PA system.
“I'll be going up [to the booth] in the third and fifth and eighth [innings]," Favors said. "So, you know, keep a listen out for me. You know, I'm on my way up.”