Former NFL players take 95 Columbus area kids to Super Bowl Experience
High schools students from around Columbus waited in the former K-Mart parking lot on Macon Road early Saturday morning, taking shelter from the cold until buses finally arrived to take them to Atlanta.
With Super Bowl LIII being hosted at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, a group of former NFL players from the area took advantage of the proximity to take 95 Chattahoochee Valley children to the Super Bowl Experience, the interactive attraction for fans to get a simulated sense of pro football’s ultimate game.
Northside High senior Gabriel Granger’s enthusiasm was shared by all of the students. “I think this is amazing,” Granger said. “I’ve never been inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium, so it’ll be exciting.”
Columbus High’s Bayard Taylor said he was “ready to get out of the cold and go have fun today.”
Most of the group left by bus Saturday morning from Columbus, with stops in Phenix City, Harris County and Troup County before they arrived at the event in the Georgia World Congress Center.
The students, in grades 9-12, attend Columbus, Kendrick, Northside, Shaw, Spencer, Russell County, Harris County and Troup County high schools.
The Super Bowl Experience will put the youngsters on the playing field, in the locker rooms and immersed in exhibits and interactive games. They will meet former NFL players and get autographs, take photos with the Vince Lombardi trophy, get a close look at the collection of 52 Super Bowl rings and run NFL drills like the 3-cone drill, 40-yard dash and the broad jump.
“It builds morale,” said Spencer High teacher Tomacia Johnson, who was also a trip chaperone. “It lets them see what they can achieve as well, they’re not removed from it or disconnected from it.”
“The students were selected by the school’s administrative leaders,” said James “Monk” Johnson, who played for Spencer High School, Tennessee State University and the San Francisco 49ers. “All students are eligible, not just athletes. Award criteria includes good academic standing, 3.0 (grade-point average) minimum, participation in extracurricular activities and involvement in the community. “
Donations from the former NFL players, plus local businesses and other individuals, are covering the cost of the trip, with a budget of $8,725, Johnson said.
Johnson came up with the idea and it came to fruition after he shared it with Oliver Davis (Mount Olive High School, Tennessee State University and Cleveland Browns) and Otis Sistrunk (Spencer High School and Oakland Raiders).
“Having a Super Bowl in our backyard may not happen for another 10 years, and this would be the closest opportunity for our kids to interact with a variety of professional athletes, coaches, others associated with the game, entertainers, etc.,” Johnson said. “We therefore wanted to expose the kids of our community to a broader perspective of the Super Bowl other than the game itself.”
Billy Jackson (Central High School, University of Alabama and Kansas City Chiefs) and Steve Reese (Spencer High School, University of Louisville and New York Jets) also helped make this trip possible, giving back to the community that propelled them forward.
Mark Rice, 706-576-6272, @MarkRiceLE.