UIndy student-athlete honors his father’s legacy with Super Bowl LV COVID-19 PSA

On Feb. 7, during Super Bowl LV, roughly 1.6 million Hoosiers were urged to get the COVID-19 vaccine by an advertisement the Indiana Department of Health aired. The star of the PSA was University of Indianapolis’ sophomore sport management major Will Loggan.

Loggan lost his father, Paul Loggan, to COVID-19 back in April of 2020, according to The Indianapolis Star. Paul left a legacy behind not only at UIndy as an All-American football player, but as a teacher, administrator and coach at North Central High School in Indianapolis.

Paul graduated in 1985 and was inducted into the UIndy Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012 for his contributions to the football team. During his tenure, he was team captain, lettered all four years, finished his career ranked in the school’s top 10 in career tackles and named defensive player from 1982-1984, according to UIndy Athletics. 

He was known throughout the entire state. The day after his death, schools across Indiana left their stadium lights on to honor him. UIndy, Franklin College, Indiana University and Butler all left their stadium lights on that night, according to IndyStar.

Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Young said that this was not the university’s idea, but the governor’s idea, to revolve the PSA around football and Paul Loggan and his legacy within the city and state.

         “…Being an athletic director in the city and his connection to football and they were just kind of searching the internet and came across the PSA that Will [Loggan] did wearing a mask for UIndy and that’s how they actually connected to Will and the family and kind of put two and two together and it just kind of went from there,” Young said.

The PSA is a part of the state’s “It’s Our Shot” public awareness campaign, urging Hoosiers to get vaccinated, according to the state’s website. Loggan was filmed at UIndy’s Key Stadium wearing his football jersey. During the 30-second PSA, Loggan talks about his family’s experience and urges people to get vaccinated. 

Loggan said that filming the PSA was surreal and a good experience. He said it felt good to impact the whole state and send out a message to share his family’s story and hopefully people will go out and get the vaccine. Loggan said he was one of the first people to see it.

“It gave me goosebumps when I saw it for the first time,” Loggan said. “I went in to do the voice over and I got to see it before they released it and so it was pretty cool to actually sit there and be like the first person to see it.”