Will Munter and his family parked their car next to Jack Trice Stadium last Friday and Munter was the first one out of the vehicle.

As the family was walking up for Victory Day, Munter was running, asking his parents, “when do I get to see my football player, Chase Allen?”

His parents reassured him that time would come soon, but in reality, they didn’t know if Allen was going to be their partner.

Allen and Munter were partners last year for the first Victory Day in Iowa State football history.

Rewind to two weeks before the second annual Victory Day, coach Matt Campbell told his players there would be another year of Victory Day.

“I knew I wanted to be paired with Will [Munter] from last year,” Allen said. “So, I asked the people in charge and they said it was a done deal.”

Once Munter and his family reached the Bergstorm Football Complex, Munter and Allen made eye contact and raced in for a big hug. The hadn’t seen each other since last year’s Victory Day, but it didn’t stop them from communicating with one another throughout this past year.

The two have been communicating via Twitter and texting, Jeremy Munter, Will’s father, said. Once they started talking, it became natural for both sides.

“It seemed like they started together right from where they left off last year,” Jeremy Munter said. “It was amazing to see the friendship build even stronger.”

Victory Day is an idea that Campbell brought to Iowa State from Toledo to give children with disabilities the opportunity to put on a jersey and play on Jack Trice Stadium for an evening. Will Munter came last year and grew a connection with Allen instantly.

Jeremy Munter has been sending Allen updates on how Will has been doing over the course of this past year. The best pictures came when Will would get new Iowa State clothes and show them off to Allen via texting.

Allen appreciated all the updates and feels like he made another family with the Munter’s. He looks forward to seeing Will grow from a fourth grader currently to a fifth and sixth grader in the future.

“Will [Munter] has an unbelieveable spirit and personality, it brightens up any place he’s in,” Allen said. “Once he gets that football in his hands, his smile is infectious, which always makes me smile from ear to ear.”

Will Munter was diagnosed with Pervasive Development Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified, which in Kelly Munter’s, (Will’s mother) terms is an autism spectrum disorder. The likelihood of Will playing football is slim to none, according to his parents.

His connection with Allen means more to him because he now has someone to root for on the sidelines.

“Will [Munter] has made me work harder on the field, in the weight room, and outside of sports,” Allen said. “I want to make sure I give it my all on the field for all the Iowa State fans, but specifically for Will too.”

Will Munter has made some tremendous progress throughout this past year, Kelly Munter said. He passed his deep end test for swimming, so he can swim with his older sister, Megan Munter.

The Munter family has become football season ticket holders for this upcoming season for the first time because of the relationship built with Allen. Will Munter wanted to see Allen more often and Jeremy and Kelly Munter appreciate the programs Iowa State football has presented their family with the past couple years.

Will Munter is excited to see more Iowa State football games and more importantly watch Allen play every Saturday scoring touchdowns and winning games. Allen is hoping to see and talk to the Munter family before or after each game to say hi and catch up on each other’s lives.

“We can’t wait to see Chase [Allen] on the field each Saturday because he deserves it after the unfortunate year last season,” Kelly Munter said. “He seems ready to play and we wish him the best of luck this season both on and off the field.”

Allen was redshirted last season after being hit by a car and having 103 stitches in his back to begin fall camp. Then, he was also hospitalized for an illness during fall camp.

Allen was excited for the season to fully get underway next week and he feels the best he’s ever felt for the first week against Northern Iowa. He also feels great because he knows there’s a fan in the stands that will be wearing the No. 11 jersey and cheering for every Allen touchdown this season.

That fan is Will Munter.

“That first touchdown I have will be for Will [Munter],” Allen said. “It’ll always be for Will.”