Nixa football offensive lineman Jackson Cantwell went viral for running out onto the football field carrying a “Waffle House” flag which left many confused as to why he did so.
Video of Cantwell with the flag has been shared by 247Sports, Barstool Sports, Bleacher Report and others. It has over 6.5 million views on X, formerly Twitter.
Various outlets have speculated about Cantwell’s flag, noting that Waffle House CEO Walt Ehmer passed away earlier this month. Others have wondered if Cantwell just likes waffles that much or if he’s seeking a Name, Image and Likeness deal once he attends college as he sits as the No. 2 overall recruit in the 2026 class.
But those who have been around Nixa football for the last several years know that the flag is nothing new.
Nixa introduced the Waffle House flag during the 2021 season as the receivers dubbed themselves “Waffle House” because the Eagles’ pass catchers claimed to be open 24 hours, seven days a week. Nixa featured one of the top receivers in the state that season in Kael Combs who is now a men’s basketball player at Drake.
More: How five-star prospect Jackson Cantwell thinks throwing helps him on the football field
The Eagles have continued to run the flag onto the field with different players carrying it. A national reporter just happened to be at the game last week to watch Cantwell and he coincidentally carried the flag out before the Eagles’ 42-0 win over Joplin. It also coincidentally came in the days following Ehmer’s passing.
Cantwell, in a text to the News-Leader, confirmed the coincidence. He said the offensive linemen have their own “Trench Gang” flag that he usually runs out but the team had a senior run it out instead. Cantwell, who watched the Eagles run the Waffle House flag onto the field as a middle schooler, decided to run it out in the now-viral…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/why-nixa-football-jackson-cantwell-234434802.html
Author : Springfield News-Leader
Publish date : 2024-09-17 23:44:34
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