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Date: January 17, 2009
THE DONRUSS POP WARNER CLASSIC
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Jefferson High School
4401 West Cypress Street
Tampa, FL 33607
The Donruss Pop Warner Classic is the game before the game - an exhibition of Pop Warner football featuring NFL Players serving as Pop Warner Coaches as well as an appearance by Tampa Bay Mascot Captain Fear. The event will be held on Saturday, January 31, 2009 from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM at Jefferson High School.
Former 1986 Heisman Trophy winner and Buccaneers QB, Vinny Testaverde (1987-1992) will join other Buccaneers alumni including quarterback Steve DeBerg (1984-1987 and 1992-1993), tight end David Moore (1992-2001 and 2004-2006), linebacker David Lewis (1997-1981) and running back Harold Hart (1976) when they take the field to participate as coaches to the East Tampa Bandits and the East Manatee Bulldogs Pop Warner Pee Wee divisions (ages 9-12) in The Donruss Pop Warner Classic: The Game Before The Game.
The game will be preceded by an exhibition between the South Shore Longhorns and the Palm Harbor Panthers Tiny Mite teams (ages 5-7). The Pop Warner Tiny Mite division is an on-field instructional division that introduces kids to the game of football emphasizing teamwork and sportsmanship. Half time will feature performances by the East Manatee Bulldogs Midget division (ages 11-15) and Palm Harbor Panthers Jr. Pee Wee (ages 8-11) and Tiny Mite division Cheer Squads.
The Donruss Pop Warner Classic is designed to give Tampa-area Pop Warner youth football players and cheerleaders the opportunity to be a part of Super Bowl festivities and interact with current and retired NFL players. Donruss is also the Official Trading Card Sponsor of the NFL Experience” at Super Bowl XLIII. The game will be played with Spalding’s Official Pop Warner Football.
Testaverde was selected as the number one overall draft pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1987 and went on to play twenty one seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns/Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers. Testaverde holds an NFL record for throwing a touchdown pass in twenty-one consecutive seasons and threw for more than 46,000 yards and 277 touchdowns in his career. In addition to participating as a coach in The Donruss Pop Warner Classic, Testaverde will also take part in a media tour on Friday, January 30.
The event is a celebration of Pop Warner’s longstanding relationship with the Tampa Bay community. The Pop Warner Classic was revived last year in advance of Super Bowl XLII after a hiatus from when it was sanctioned by the NFL Host Committee as the Pop Warner Annual Celebrity Game with Ricky Williams which took place at Super Bowls XXXVII & XXXVIII in San Diego, CA and Houston, TX, respectively. The event will be held AT Jefferson High School just a few minutes from Raymond James Stadium and the NFL Experience and five miles from the NFL Media Center.
The following NFL Players will be participating in this year's event:
- Vinny Testaverde, Former Heisman Winner, Tampa Bay Buc QB and 21-year NFL veteran
- Steve DeBerg, Former Tampa Bay Buc QB
- Tampa Bay Buc Mascot, Captain Fear
- David Moore, Former Bucs TE (1992-2001 and 2004-2006)
- David Lewis, Former Bucs LB (1977-1981)
- Harold Hart, Former Bucs RB (1976)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleaders
The following Tampa area Pop Warner teams will be participating in the event:
- D-I East Manatee Bulldogs Pee Wee Team
- D-I East Tampa Bandits Pee Wee Team
- Palm Harbor Panthers Tiny Mites
- South Shore Longhorns Tiny Mites
- East Manatee Bulldogs Midget Cheer
- Palm Harbor Panthers Jr. Pee Wee Cheer
- Palm Harbor Panthers Tiny Mite Cheer
The Donruss Pop Warner Classic is an event that allows Tampa-area Pop Warner kids to participate in the NFL Super Bowl experience and showcase their program. As a Donruss Pop Warner Classic Coach, the NFL Players participating as Guest Coaches will help bring excitement to the event by being an active participant in the coaching of the exhibition game along the side of the existing Pop Warner coach of that respective team. The two Pee Wee teams participating in the exhibition are coached by their existing Pop Warner coaches and a current or recently retired marquee NFL Player who also serves as a guest coach. The NFL Player will take part in the play calling of their respective teams and in motivating the kids, as well as in the promotion and execution of the event.
ABOUT POP WARNER:
Pop Warner is an NFL Youth Partner and is the nation’s largest and oldest youth football and cheer/dance organization serving over 400,000 participants across the globe. For further information, please visit www.popwarner.com. Please contact Jason Howarth at (508) 353-0063 or jhowarth@ctpboston.com for media inquiries.
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