As part of a week of events preceding Super Bowl LIII, the NFL and Atlanta Falcons selected the Chapel Hill High School football team from Douglas County for an opportunity designed to help them achieve sports leadership and life skill success.
The Panthers will meet current NFL stars and NFL Hall of Famers the Friday before the big game to go through over two hours of intense football training exercises. At the same time, Chapel Hill football coaching staff will learn from past and current NFL all-stars during an NFL Hall of Fame coaching symposium.
After their NFL experience, students and coaches will have two hours to tour the NFL Expo, a massive, interactive football theme park housed at the Georgia World Congress Center.
“We are so excited and humbled to be a part of this outstanding event,” head football coach Justin DeShon said. “To be able to take some of our student-athletes to this venue will create memories and experiences that will last a lifetime. We can’t wait to meet and learn from the NFL's best players and Hall of Famers. It is such a blessing to be chosen for this. We are all counting down the days!"
The Panthers are among 15 teams chosen to take part in the high school football experience. They were selected based on the strength of an essay.
DeShon explains that picking which teammates will attend the once in a lifetime event has been the hardest thing he has ever had to do. “I wish I could take the entire Chapel Hill High School,” he explained. “I chose 25 players based on how they have impacted our program; whether that is ‘sweat equity,’ attendance, GPA or attitude. I chose my coaches based on those same criteria.”
Coach DeShon said he hopes that the event will inspire a deeper appreciation and respect for the game of football.
“I dream that this experience will ignite a drive and passion for excelling at football. All of our players will take away something from high school football that will make them better as an individual. The Super Bowl brings together the best of the best and this event will have a profound soul-stirring impact on our players."
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