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NFL Players, Governor Tout, Reward Fitness

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By TED JACKOVICS

tjackovics@tampatrib.com

Published: January 28, 2009

Updated: 01/29/2009 12:33 am

TAMPA - More than 1,000 Tampa Bay area elementary school children got a lesson Wednesday in the importance of exercise from about a dozen current and retired National Football League players and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist.

The youngsters, who spent the day on the NFL Experience grounds outside Raymond James Stadium, had entered an NFL Play 60 program to learn fitness principles. The event was part of NFL Kids' Day.

"I wrote in my journal every day about my activities," said Narvis Carmora, 11, a fifth-grader at Oak Grove Elementary in Tampa. "I got to try an extra point kick and it's fun."

The youngsters tested their running, passing and kicking skills before sitting down after lunch to listen to Crist, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Executive Vice President Bryan Glazer, and Bucs players Warren Dunn and Derrick Brooks emphasize the importance of being active at least 60 minutes a day. "It will affect your quality of life forever," Crist told the youngsters.

Sam Kimmel, a 13-year-old eighth-grader who lives in Homer City, Pa., wrote the winning essays among 20,000 entrants in the NFL Play 60 challenge.

Kimmel, who is asthmatic, has followed the lead of retired Pittsburgh Steelers superstar Jerome Bettis, who also suffers from asthma.

Sam will run onto the Raymond James Stadium field before the kickoff to Super Bowl XLIII and hand the game ball to officials.

Reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at (813) 259-7817.

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