OSU football team pays visit to the Community Outreach Christmas party

Chaz Jackson said couldn't sleep Friday night. He was too excited. Could it be because Santa Claus was arriving Saturday morning?

Who?

You know, Santa Claus. Stocky gent. Spreads Christmas joy.

Oh, him.

The only stocky gents Chaz, 7, was interested in meeting weren't wearing red. They were strictly orange and black. The Oregon State University football team came to Community Outreach in Corvallis for the agency's Christmas party.

That Santa guy came with them. Beaver center Alex Linnenkohl, however, was conspicuously absent. He missed all the excitement. Funny. Linnenkohl is never around when Santa Claus shows up. It's like how Clark Kent never gets to meet Superman.

Not that it mattered. Chaz was only interested in the football players.

This is Chaz's first year in Oregon. He and his mother moved here from Los Angeles. As soon as she took Chaz to to the Civil War game, he was a Beaver fan through and through.

Linnenkohl, spotted earlier ducking into a dressing room, said he loves being a hero to young fans. Most of the time, he said, he and his teammates are practicing and too rarely see the adulation in children's eyes. "It's pretty grounding. It's pretty humbling," he said. "You come out and see how you can reach these kids. It changes things. It makes you feel wonderful and important - for all the right reasons."

Community Outreach offers shelter and other services to individuals and families in dire straits.

There are 15 children in the shelter this Christmas, said Amealia Schreiter, Community Outreach's family support mentor. They love meeting the players and getting autographs.

"You guys made a really big difference in a lot of these kids' Christmas morning," she told players.

Each player got information on a specific child. Armed with a general knowledge of the child's clothing sizes and interests, the players went shopping.

"My favorite part last year was watching the kids run around opening presents," said Linnenkohl, a 20-year-old sophomore from Olympia, Wash.

The players also gave children something else: time.

Defensive end Victor Butler spent the morning drawing pictures with children. He kind of wishes he could have played Santa Claus. "I would have made a great Santa," Butler said.

Before he mysteriously vanished, Linnenkohl was ready to play Santa. But he was a little nervous.

"I don't know if I can pull of the Santa bit," he said. "I don't even know if they have a beard for me, but I haven't shaved in awhile. I'm not the greatest actor, but we'll see."

Fortunately, it wasn't necessary. Santa showed up, looking a little beefier than usual. "Too many jelly doughnuts this year," he said. His pants were also a wee bit tight. Football players asked if he was able to sit down. "With difficulty," he responded.

Santa abandoned his traditional boots for black leg warmers with sneakers peeking out from underneath. "We quit making boots at the North Pole," he explained. "We got a contract with Nike."

A young fan named Chester sat on his lap. "Chester? My parents were going to name me Chester," he said. "You could be sitting on Chester Claus' lap right now."

That Santa. Always the jolly one.

Linnenkohl said players worried that their presents were too small. But it's not the gift itself, he said.

"You soon realize they're grateful for anything. It's just being there for them."