Patriots' Austin Hooper turns to local artists for "My Cause, My Cleats" design
On the second floor of a South End bookstore, two artists sat down at a table Tuesday and assessed their blank canvas: A pair of cleats for Patriots tight end Austin Hooper.
"I've never worked on a shoe before," said Adelya Hovanesian. "I do digital art and comic work. It's kind of new territory for me."
Hovanesian and Jamal Byenkya are customizing cleats for Hooper on behalf of a non-profit that's left a print on both of their lives. More Than Words works to empower system-involved youth (foster-care or court-involved) to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business.
"We work with young adults ages of 16 and 24 who are involved in foster care system, who are homeless or out of school," said Jennifer Herbert of More Than Words.
"I was going through court making bad decisions," said Byenkya. "More Than Words was a major factor in getting me where I'm at now."
A visit from Austin Hooper
As they were just beginning to fire up their air brushes to get to work, the two artists got a visit from Hooper himself, who stopped by for a sneak peek on his off day. The cleats will showcase his cause of choice for the NFL's My Cause, My Cleats initiative: kids in foster care, and specifically, young adults aging out of the system.
"The craziest stat of all is they're two times more likely to experience PTSD than combat veterans," said Hooper. "That's wild to me. The more I've been around, the more I've learned, the more grace and passion I have for this."
"It means a lot to be seen, in a way," said Hovanesian. "Older kids in foster care don't really get recognition for their struggles because, by that time, it's too late; we're adults. It kind of feels nice to be represented in such a kind way."
Their designs is more than words, indeed. They are works of art.
"It's going to be very surreal," said Byenkya. "Even right now, I'm kind of wrapping my head around it."
When Hooper paid a visit on his off day, it was to provide some words of encouragement -- not any fashion advice.
"The last thing I ever want to do is tell the artist what to do," said Hooper. "I don't have enough style; I'm here in jeans and a hoody. I'm going to let the artists do what they do."
Hovanesian and Byenkya will get to see their finished product take center-stage on national TV, when the Patriots host the Giants on December 1st on Monday Night Football. Hooper will rock his special cleats for that game, and then they'll be auctioned off as part of the My Cause, My Cleats initiative. One hundred percent of the funds raised from Hooper's cleats will go to More Than Words.