Caden Tellier Foundation brings Dallas County football teams together for unity dinner

The Caden Tellier Foundation welcomed football players and coaches from across Dallas County to its second annual Community Dinner on Thursday evening at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church in Selma, continuing a tradition inspired by the life and legacy of Morgan Academy quarterback Caden Tellier, who died from a brain injury after being injured during a football game in 2024.

Student-athletes from Selma High School, Morgan Academy, Ellwood Christian Academy, Dallas County High School and Southside High School gathered for a barbecue dinner a week before the start of football season. While the teams will soon compete against one another, the evening focused on fellowship, encouragement and unity.

Caden’s father, Jamie Tellier, said the dinner reflects the values his son lived every day.

“The most important thing is spreading unity,” Tellier said. “We want every team and every program to be successful, and we want every kid that comes through these programs to be successful. That’s part of the foundation’s vision, giving these kids all the tools to be successful.”

Although Caden attended Morgan Academy, he grew up playing on county recreation league teams and built friendships with athletes from schools throughout Selma and Dallas County. Jamie Tellier said bringing those schools together is exactly what his son would have wanted.

“Caden always said if Selma had one school, we would be competing with the Thompsons, the Prattvilles and the Hoovers,” Tellier said. “There are just so many great athletes here. They may be spread out at different schools, but that’s one of the great things we wanted to do. I know he’s loving every second of this right now.”

Caden’s mother, Arsella Tellier, said the foundation was established shortly after her son’s death to create opportunities for young people across Dallas County, the Black Belt and other rural communities.

In addition to the annual dinner, the foundation plans to host its first Caden Tellier Football Camp next summer. The event will function more like a college combine, allowing athletes to showcase their skills while connecting with college recruiters.

“We want to help the kids in our area have the opportunity to move on to the next level and pursue higher education,” she said.

One of those athletes is Selma High senior Cedrick Simmons, a four-star wide receiver who recently committed to play football at the University of Alabama. Simmons said he and Caden had been friends since childhood, playing both football and baseball together.

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“Caden probably was the most positive person I ever knew,” Simmons said. “Every time I saw him, he always had a smile on his face. He always made me laugh. We miss him down here.”

Asked what Caden would think about athletes from every local school gathering for the dinner, Simmons smiled.

“He would love this,” he said. “Yes, he would love it.”

The evening also included information from the Selma Quarterback Club about scholarship opportunities available to student-athletes. Before the meal, the Telliers recognized the coaches in attendance, thanking them for investing in young people beyond the football field.

“These coaches are molding you into men,” Jamie Tellier told the athletes. “They’re building you for a greater cause than your playing career. They’re helping you become better sons, better fathers, better employees and good bosses. The future can be whatever you want it to be, but it starts now.”

Tellier also shared the meaning behind the foundation’s motto, “Live Like Caden.”

“Caden believed his athletic ability wasn’t his – it was God-given,” he said. “He knew the very least he could do was give 100 percent every time he stepped on the field because God gave him that talent, and he wanted to show everyone how great God is.”

For the Tellier family, seeing athletes from across Selma and Dallas County sitting together, sharing a meal and encouraging one another was the perfect tribute to Caden’s life.

“He’d be smiling from ear to ear,” Arsella Tellier said. “This is exactly the kind of unity he believed in.”