Pittsburgh Steelers fan THOMAS BROWN was chosen as this year’s NFL PLAY 60 Super Kid, it was announced today. On February 2, he will hand the game ball to a game official moments before kickoff of Super Bowl XLVIII.
Thousands of young fans nationwide entered the NFL PLAY 60 Super Bowl Contest online at NFLRUSH.com, the NFL’s official website for kids. To be eligible, Brown pledged to be active for 60 minutes a day and answered the following questions:
- If you could tell your favorite team what healthy foods they needed to eat, what would you suggest and why?
- What do you think your favorite player does to stay fit?
- Who is your favorite player on your local NFL team, and how does he inspire you to PLAY 60?
Brown, who plays NFL FLAG Football and enjoys family walks and bike rides, wrote about his admiration for TROY POLAMALU and the way he carries his fandom with him during family moves around the country. Brown’s father, Shannon, is an active duty Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps who flies FA-18 fighter jets. “Like other military families, my wife and boys have had to sacrifice a lot over the years during my deployments overseas,” said Shannon.
Yesterday, Brown traveled to Pittsburgh for a special surprise dinner with Polamalu. Today, he was treated to a tour of the Steelers facility, where he spent time with Steelers president ART ROONEY II and players HEATH MILLER and MAURKICE POUNCEY.
Brown, 9, is a competitive swimmer who specializes in the backstroke, and a Cub Scout who enjoys surfing. In his contest essay, he provided some healthy-eating advice for Polamalu and his teammates, writing “I would tell them to eat healthy foods that are not artificial. Eat veggies, lots of protein to build muscles, and stay away from junk food. It will also make your hair shinier, especially Troy. I think they should do this because I tried it and it has made me a better player on the field and a better student in the classroom.”
