QUEEN CREEK, Ariz. - Arizona Coyotes legend Shane Doan thought he was on his way to play a round of golf with Diamondbacks great Luis Gonzales. Instead, he got the surprise of a lifetime.
It all began with a helicopter ride over Schnepf Farms.
“As we were flying over, I started to realize what it was," Doan said. "I mean you don't expect to see that ever.”
What the Coyotes legend saw was his image carved into a 10-acre corn maze.
Carving the likeness of celebrities into the corn maze is a fall tradition at Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek.
Doan, who spent his 21-year career playing with the Arizona Coyotes, joins boxing legend Muhammad Ali, Arizona Diamondbacks great Luis Gonzales and Arizona Cardinals star wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald among those who have been carved into the "Maze of Glory."
“It's kind of humbling. Don't know if [I}really belong in that, but it's such an incredible honor,” said Doan.
Mark Schnepf said he planted the corn in July. The farm hired a design team to come up with the design and then came out to the farm in August to spray the design into the corn field with the help of a GPS device.
Schnepf said it was his wife Carrie who decided on Doan as this year’s honoree.
“We started doing ice skating. We have an ice skating rink we put here on the farm," said Mark Schnepf. "She’s like ‘It would be awesome if we could bring Shane out here,’ and then she’s like, ‘Let’s put him in the maze.'"
The corn maze is part of Schnepf Farm's Pumpkin and Chili Party set to begin Oct. 5. For more information, visit Schnepf Farms' website.