Many high school football players know that they probably won’t make the pros or even college teams, but when the Super Bowl is in your area, there’s nothing wrong with a little fantasy.
For members of the Meadowcreek High School football team, the dream of tossing around the pigskin in an NFL stadium while TV cameras roll will become a reality Friday.
The Gwinnett team has been invited to participate in a walkthrough at Mercedes Benz Stadium for a camera test for CBS's Super Bowl LIII broadcast. These student-athletes will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take the field before the NFC and AFC champions compete for the Lombardi Trophy on Sunday.
Friday’s dress rehearsal will be not broadcast, but is an opportunity for the small army of camera crews and technicians to test their equipment and get to know the stadium before a worldwide broadcast Sunday that could draw more than 100 million viewers in the U.S.
The Meadowcreek players will participate in mock team introductions, a coin toss, and will simulate plays run by both teams. Their “day in the sun” will ensure that everyone else can enjoy the big game on TV, catching every play and replay that is filmed, on Sunday.
"We were contacted by the Falcons public relations to represent the look of the Patriots and the Rams," said head coach Jason Carrera. "Even though we'll be wearing our own jerseys we have guys picked out to represent Brady and Gurley."
The students will take the field before the pros get a chance to try it out.
“The teams don’t practice until Satuday,” Carrera added.
Although Meadowcreek didn’t end up state champions (they ended the season 6-4), they have a reputation as a solid team. At the 2018 edition of the Rivalries of Gwinnett All-Star football game, Carrera served as coach of one of the teams. In a kind of mixed bag of talents he had players from from his school, Mountain View, Duluth, Norcross, North Gwinnett, Collins Hill Lanier, Discovery, Hebron, Buford, Mill Creek and Peachtree Ridge.
After a scoreless first quarter, his guys pulled off a 30-7 win. It didn’t make a difference in the final stats, but it was an opportunity to get back on the field and let former rivals become teammates.
“At the end of the day it’s one more chance to put on the pads and have fun.”
Besides the kids getting a treat, Carrera was also treated to two Super Bowl game tickets during Monday’s Super Bowl LIII Opening Night.
The NFL and the Atlanta Falcons invited four high school and youth coaches to the stage during media night festivities for the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots.
Although Carrera has four grown sons, there was no doubt who was going to be his plus-one.
“My wife was yelling from the stands, ‘He better take me!’” he said. “She’s as much a football fan as I am. We’re going to have a ball.”
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