A Thanksgiving Day documentary on HBO, "Sport in America: Our Defining Stories", is scheduled to include an interview with Hope College professor emeritus Jack Ridl.

The documentary will examine how the universal thread of sport unites us as a people and has shaped America's character, according to the producers.

Ridl was a professor of English at Hope from 1971 to 2006. He is the author of several collections of poetry and has also published more than 300 poems in journals and has work included in numerous anthologies.  He has received multiple awards for his collections.  In 2007, he was named one of the 100 most influential sports educators in America, recognized as "sports poet," by the Institute for International Sport.  His 2009 collection “Losing Season” was named the 2009 “Sports Education Book of the Year”, also by the Institute for International Sport.

The documentary will air on HBO, HBO on Demand and HBO GO on Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, Nov. 28) at 6 p.m. ET. It was co-produced by HBO, Sports Illustrated and Endgame Entertainment.