ANTONIO GATES AMONG NFL PLAYERS LEADING NFL PLAY 60 PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS

Campaign Helps Kids Get Moving As Part of Youth Health and Fitness Campaign

DREW BREES and ELI MANNING are used to calling plays on the field. This season, they also will be helping kids call the shots when it comes to their health as part of the NFL’s new public service announcements. Joined by Chargers tight end ANTONIO GATES, the players are working with youngsters as part of NFL PLAY 60: The NFL Movement for an Active Generation, which focuses on the health and wellness of young fans by encouraging them to be active for at least 60 minutes a day.

Super Bowl Champion Eli Manning of the New York Giants filmed his PSA with children from the St. Vincent’s Hospital system during a special visit to the Meadowlands in New York. Manning treated his guests to a tour of the Giants locker room and home field, and then helped them get active through warm-ups and a series of football drills.

“The health and fitness of our youth continues to be a priority for the NFL, and it’s important to me,” said New Orleans Saints quarterback Brees, who took to the water to film his PSA accompanied by 30 children from local hospitals. The annual “Brees on the Seas” fishing event, organized by the Brees Dream Foundation, enabled children to fish with Brees and his teammates and explore the great outdoors in Louisiana. The day culminated in a game of backyard football.

Vikings Pro Bowl player Adrian Peterson joined his teammates and 40 Special Olympians for his PSA at a special Punt, Pass and Kick event. The event was made possible by the Vikings and Peterson's All-Day Foundation. After watching the Vikings practice, the Special Olympians got the chance to take the field themselves, practicing drills with Peterson and participating in the PPK competition.

Designed to tackle childhood obesity, NFL PLAY 60 brings together the NFL’s long-standing commitment to health and fitness with an impressive roster of partner organizations — Action for Healthy Kids, Ad Council, American Heart Association, Gatorade, Home Depot, Kellogg’s, National Dairy Council, Nickelodeon, Nike, United Way, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In addition to these national PSAs produced by NFL Films, PLAY 60 also will be implemented locally as part of the NFL's in-school, after-school and team-based programs, from youth football to “What Moves U.”

This season’s new United Way NFL messages also focus on youth health and fitness. SANTANA MOSS of the Washington Redskins, BOB SANDERS of the Indianapolis Colts, and DONTE WHITNER of the Buffalo Bills all get physically fit with kids and emphasize the importance of good health. The United Way PSAs debut on August 14.

Other players involved in NFL Play 60 include: ADRIAN PETERSON (Minnesota Vikings); GARY BAXTER (Cleveland Browns); TOM BRADY (New England Patriots); REGGIE BUSH (New Orleans Saints); ROBERTO GARZA (Chicago Bears); STEVEN JACKSON (St. Louis Rams), and TONY ROMO and JASON WITTEN (Dallas Cowboys). New York Jets COACH ERIC MANGINI is the official “coach motivator” for PLAY 60. His online messages on NFLRUSH.com will encourage kids to get and stay healthy.

“We are taking a leadership role in the movement to get youngsters fit. Our players know the importance of staying healthy and it’s important that young fans also understand the value of exercise,” said COMMISSIONER ROGER GOODELL. “Play 60 is an important tool in ensuring that children get their necessary daily physical activity as recommended by health and fitness experts.”

Kids and parents can learn more on NFLRUSH.com.


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