Hernando Throws Bash for Dockery

Hernando celebrated a favorite son Saturday with “Kevin Dockery Day” as hundreds of residents young and old turned out to cheer the cornerback of the Super Bowl XLII champion New York Giants at a parade and reception.

Opening his comments at the reception, the soft-spoken Dockery, 24, a 2002 Hernando High School graduate and former Mississippi State University player, thanked God “because without Him none of this would have been possible.”

Also honored by the event was Deljuan Robinson, a high school and college teammate of Dockery’s who is now a defensive tackle with the NFL’s Houston Texans.

At 5-8 and about 185 pounds, Dockery appears surprisingly small for a professional football player. He was not drafted by an NFL team but was given a chance by the Giants after he tried out for the second year in a row.

Rose Jones, a second cousin who was among family members at the parade and reception, said, “He didn’t make it the first time, but he didn’t give up. He is great. He is awesome. I am so proud of him.”

Full Story: Hernando throws a bash for Super Bowl champion - [Commercial Appeal]

Related: Super Bowl champion Kevin Dockery feted in Hernando - [Sun Herald]