A group has started a petition to have the Santana High School football field, the high school of former Cougar football player Leon Bender, named in his honor. The petition overview can be found below:
Leon Bender graduated from Santana High School in 1993. He then went on to Washington State on a scholarship to continue playing football in college. From there he was drafted first pick in the second round by the Oakland Raiders. Unfortunately, Leon never played in the NFL because he passed away unexpectedly before his dream came true. Leon was someone who was loved by all and naming Santana's football field after Leon would be a great way to honor his legacy in our community!
When the group approached the school about naming the stadium, they were told Bender was not meaningful to students anymore. They are now trying to show how much support there is for Bender by collecting signatures. The petition currently has 596 signatures, over half of the goal of 1,000.
You can sign the petition by following this link.
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