Military homecoming surprise by dad for Blackman cheerleader at high school basketball game

The last thing Air Force Tech Sgt. Ben Nelson thought he would be doing when he returned from a deployment in Qatar was dressing up in a Bulldog mascot outfit.

As it turns out, it was the perfect disguise for Nelson to surprise his four children, including Blackman basketball cheerleader Ashlynn Nelson, at Friday night's Blackman at Smyrna basketball games.

"With the time change (from Qatar), I had just woken up and was groggy (Friday afternoon)," Ben Nelson said. "My wife (Emily) was talking about me going out there and dancing around like a mascot. It was a little out of my element. But it was kind of fun for a little bit."

Between games he came out dressed in the Bulldog mascot uniform and Smyrna officials acted as if there was going to be a dance contest. Ashlynn was chosen to be one of the contestants and was pulled to center court.

"I don't dance ... I'm terrible at it," she said. "They pulled (fellow cheerleader) Brooke Stewart out there. (Blackman cheer coach Kristi Covington) was yelling for me to get out there. I was hiding (behind a fellow cheerleader), and they told me I had to get out there.

"When I got out there, they pulled (Stewart) off the floor. I heard (Smyrna announcer Jeff Shipley) talking, but I wasn't sure what he was saying."

At that point her dad took off the Bulldog head to the shock and elation of his daughter, who leaped into his arms.

"I wasn't expecting anything. He was supposed to come home Feb. 17," said Ashlynn, a sophomore. "It wasn't registering at first. I thought, 'How is he here?' Then it started processing."

The plan was put together by Blackman and Smyrna administrators and Emily Nelson relayed the plan to Ben, who had last surprised Ashlynn on the playground at Scales Elementary when she was in fourth grade.

"We really appreciate Smyrna for doing this," said Blackman principal Leisa Justus, who helped coordinate the surprise with Smyrna principal Sherri Southerland and Bulldog athletic director Billy Harris. "We called them and asked what we could do and they said, 'What if we put him in our Bulldog uniform.'"

"I had planned on surprising her at one of her games she was cheering," added Ben Nelson, who hoped to do it Tuesday at home but couldn't return in time. "There was a look of confusion and excitement (out of Ashlynn). Her reaction and the other kids running down was great."

The plan worked to perfection, but Ben Nelson has no plans to be a mascot any time soon.

"I'm not going to quit my day job," he said.

Reach Cecil Joyce at cjoyce@dnj.com or 615-278-5168 and on Twitter @Cecil_Joyce.

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