NFL Play 60 had their annual Special Olympics unified flag football contest today between the Tigers and the Falcons, with special guests Pittsburgh Steelers backup quarterback Josh Dobbs and Falcons defensive end Brooks Reed. For those that are not aware of what unified flag football is, Austin Fleishour, Special Olympics International Manager of Corporate Alliances, broke it down perfectly: “We pair people with and without disabilities on the same team.”4
Fleishour’s employer and the NFL partnered on this Play60 initiative and as much as Fleishour enjoys these events, NFL manager of Community Relationships enjoys it as well. “For me, this is personal because I grew up loving sports. Special Olympics is something that I have been a part of in college. That is when I first joined and was a part of a team. So to be able to come back in my career and be with the NFL and have this national partnership is something that we’re doing all across America and it’s pretty special to me.”
The game was entertaining with both teams scoring back and forth with the Tigers eventually winning the game. And during halftime of the game, there was a special presentation given to Morgan McDaniel by Dobbs, who presented her with two tickets to the Super Bowl.
As for Dobbs, he enjoyed participating in the game Well I love the game of football and just to be able to be around the game, teach them and show them my passion for the game even go out with everyone is a blast.”
The event and just the joy of all the players and people that participated was a great thing to see and shows some of the more compassionate and softer side of the NFL.
