Not Just Any Football Card

It goes without saying that we here at 19th + Wilson are football fans. In fact, that's how some of us first met—playing Saturday morning football together in 1999. It was during those games that we discovered a common interest in filmmaking, and began pooling our collective resources to start our independent film company. Little did we know that in less than a decade, we'd be making a feature film with the help of one of the most popular NFL stars in the sport; one of our favorite players. Chris Cooley.

Thursday night, on the way home from the DC Independent Film Festival's opening ceremony, we were reminded of just how integral football has been to this journey... and how for us, it will forever be connected to this particular film. Ghosts Don't Exist's own Donny Aros emailed us about an awesome discovery he'd made—2009 Topps® NFL Football Card #163. A new Chris Cooley card.

It's a rather conservative design as far as football cards go, and on the back of said card is the standard stuff: Chris' vital information, and his impressive stats from 2004–08. But what's remarkable is the summary statement. Right there, in black and white—on an official Topps® NFL Football Card—is Chris Cooley's commitment to our film:

Chris is one of the NFL's most entertaining and accessible players, bringing fans into his life through his well-produced blog. It was through that enterprise that he met his partners for a film production entitled Ghosts Don't Exist. Says Cooley, "I was an art major in college. If there's something I want to support, it's the arts."

It's such an honor to have our film represented on Chris' football card! Even as word continues to spread and Ghosts Don't Exist gains exposure on both national and global levels, there's something very special about this. And like any favorite football card, there always will be.