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Published on April 22nd, 2018 | by Landon Buford

NFL Will Host Community Events In Dallas, Arlington, & Surrounding Areas Throughout Draft Week

The impact of the 2018 NFL Draft will extend far beyond AT&T Stadium through the NFL’s many community events planned for Draft week across Arlington, Dallas, and the surrounding communities. From youth football clinics to character-building initiatives, military appreciation, and school celebrations, thousands of local children and their families will experience the excitement of Draft through a series of free events.

The following are some of the ways that the NFL, Dallas Cowboys, and partners will celebrate the Draft week and leave a positive legacy in Dallas. Full details on each of these events and participating players will be available via media advisories during Draft week.

NFL Draft Fuel Up to Play 60 Touchdown Celebration

Nearly 500 students from Dallas-Fort Worth area elementary schools will come to AT&T Stadium on Tuesday, April 24 from 10 AM – 12 PM for a youth health and wellness celebration hosted by the Dallas Cowboys, Dairy MAX, NFL and Fuel Up to Play 60. The celebration honors schools and students that have achieved Touchdown status with Fuel Up to Play 60, successfully completing the program. Fuel Up to Play 60 features six steps focused on fueling up with healthy foods to have the energy for 60 minutes of activity. Student teams will participate in a pep rally and a physical activity that reinforces the program’s healthy message. Activities will be led by Dallas Cowboys Legends DEMARCUS WARE and BRADIE JAMES, along with representatives from USA Football and featuring CHARLOTTE JONES ANDERSON and Fuel Up to Play 60 NFL Draft Ambassador and Frisco Heritage High School student, TRINITY WILLIAMS.

Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by National Dairy Council and the NFL, in collaboration with the USDA, to help encourage today’s youth to lead healthier lives.

NFL Draft Play Football Clinic and Character Playbook Hour

NFL Draft prospects will lead more than 125 local middle school students in a Play Football NFL Draft clinic and 750 local middle school students in the Character Playbook Hour on Wednesday, April 25 at 10 AM at AT&T Stadium. The prospects will be split into two groups and rotate to lead a session at each activity.

During the clinic, participants will learn on-field techniques and receive instruction from a group Draft prospect at various non-contact football skills and drills stations, including passing, receiving and agility. The clinic will take place on the Play Football Field presented by Danimals at NFL Draft Experience presented by Oikos Triple Zero®.

Simultaneously, the NFL and the United Way will host the Character Playbook Hour on the West Platform at AT&T Stadium. Having launched at the 2016 NFL Draft in Chicago, Character Playbook, a joint initiative of the NFL and United Way Worldwide powered by EverFi, returns to the NFL Draft stage in 2018 in celebration of having engaged more than 200,000 students and 2,000 schools nationwide to date. The digital course uses evidence-based strategies to educate students on how to cultivate and maintain healthy relationships during their critical middle school years.

With Dallas Cowboys Center, TRAVIS FREDERICK, as emcee, teams of local students will be partnered with a group of Draft prospects and will answer questions and complete quick challenges to vie for the title of Character Champion. Following the Game Show, Cowboys Legend and Community Ambassador DEMARCUS WARE will speak to the students about character and participate in a Q&A discussion on-stage with Frederick and Draft prospects. Students will also enjoy a special performance by the Dallas Cowboys Rhythm & Blue drumline.

Draft prospects will be available to the media for a limited time following the clinic and Character Playbook event at approximately 11 AM on the Play Football Field presented by Danimals at NFL Draft Experience presented by Oikos Triple Zero®.

NFL Draft Legacy Event and Ground-Breaking Ceremony

The City of Arlington, Dallas Cowboys, Gene and Jerry Jones Family Arlington Youth Foundation, and NFL have teamed to ensure that the legacy of the Draft in Dallas extends far beyond the week’s festivities.

On Wednesday, April 25 at 12:30 PM, the NFL and Dallas Cowboys will host a ground-breaking ceremony at Workman Junior High (701 E Arbrook Blvd, Arlington, TX 76014) to announce the 2018 NFL Draft Legacy Project. Representatives from the NFL, Dallas Cowboys, and City of Arlington, Arlington Independent School District, along with local junior high students from Arlington ISD, will be in attendance.

Arlington ISD Community Quarterback High School Football Volunteer Challenge

As part of NFL Draft community outreach, the six Arlington ISD high school football teams were challenged by the Dallas Cowboys to execute service projects that impact their campus, neighborhood and feeder communities during Draft Week. Student athletes had the opportunity to apply for grant funds provided by NFL Foundation to complete their efforts. Projects created by the high school teams include community beautification endeavors, courtyard refurbishments, elementary-focused reading initiatives and more.

Beginning Wednesday, April 25 and continuing through Draft week, NFL Draft Community Ambassadors DEMARCUS WARE and DREW PEARSON will join Cowboys alumni in visiting the worksites for the service projects.

NFL Play Football Prospect Family Brunch

Parents of NFL Draft Prospects will join local high school football players and their families for a special recognition and networking brunch. On Thursday, April 26, families will participate in a special meet and greet opportunity and forum led by NFL Legend SCOTT TURNER focused on the values learned playing football.

NFL Play Football Summer Season Kickoff Clinics

In celebration of the Play Football Summer Season, the NFL will host a series of non-contact football clinics for local youth on Friday, April 27. As Draft Prospects prepare to embark on their NFL journey, younger members of the football family will have a chance to play the game at AT&T Stadium, home of the NFL Draft.

Play Football Summer Season clinics at Draft are free and open to the public. Clinics will be led by USA Football certified coaches with appearances by NFL players and Legends.

This summer, hundreds of current and former NFL players and coaches will host youth summer camps and activities for kids across the country. Camps and activities will focus on teaching young athletes proper technique and will emphasize the importance of teamwork, sportsmanship, and the positive values learned by playing football. Families interested in registering may view a list of confirmed Summer activities on PlayFootball.com.

Play Football Red Carpet Celebration

High school football programs from various school districts, including Arlington, Dallas, and Frisco, will walk the Red Carpet and be interviewed by media and aspiring high school journalists on Friday, April 27. High school cheer and dance squads will also participate in Red Carpet festivities.

NFL Legend and NFL Network talent WILLIE MCGINEST will host the event live from outside AT&T Stadium prior to the opening of Round 2 of the NFL Draft.

Homes For Our Troops Ground-Breaking Ceremony

The NFL, in collaboration with Home For Our Troops, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping injured post-9/11 veterans rebuild their lives, will celebrate the start of construction on a new, specially-adapted custom home for Marine Corps veteran OMAR MILAN, who was injured serving in Afghanistan. Representatives from the NFL, Dallas Cowboys and Homes For Our Troops will host a ground-breaking ceremony on Saturday, April 28 in Mansfield, Texas. The event is open to the public.

The NFL is providing Homes For Our Troops with a $50,000 donation to continue their mission to support post-9/11 veterans.

NFL Draft Play Football Family Football Clinic

The NFL Draft Family Football Clinic will be held on Saturday, April 28 from 12:30 – 2 PM at the Play Football Field presented by Danimals at NFL Draft Experience presented by Oikos Triple Zero®.This event will give local kids an opportunity to participate in a youth football non-contact clinic with USA Football coaches while their parents listen to football-themed discussion panel on various topics.

The clinic is free and open to the public. Families may register for the free Family Football Clinic through NFL Fan Mobile Pass.

NFL Draft Experienceship

The NFL Draft Experienceship offers high school students the opportunity to learn and understand careers in the business of sports and sports marketing as they make decisions about the next steps in their education. This year’s Experienceship participants include local high school students who are participating in industry certification programs at the Arlington ISD Dan Dipert Career and Technical Center that are relevant to preparing for the NFL Draft.

Part One of the Experienceship took place in March. High school students attended the NFL Draft Production Meeting where they had the opportunity to learn about the strategic planning process behind hosting a premiere sports and entertainment event.

Part Two of the Experienceship will take place on Friday, April 27 at AT&T Stadium. The AISD students will see the plans they witnessed at the NFL Draft Production Meeting come to life through a tour of the NFL Draft Theater and NFL Draft Experience presented by Oikos Triple Zero®. Throughout the tour, the students will meet with various NFL officials who will answer questions and provide exclusive, behind-the-scenes information. Post tour, the students will volunteer at various activations within the NFL Draft Experience, gaining valuable experience at a major NFL event.

Arlington ISD Student-Athlete Mentorship Program

In conjunction with NFL Draft community outreach projects, Arlington ISD high school student-athletes across all sports – both boys’ and girls’ – have spent the last few weeks mentoring their junior high counterparts and implementing the InSideOut character education lessons that their coaches have been presenting for the past year. The older athletes were encouraged to attend practices and host character discussions and teambuilding events prior to NFL Draft, serving as role models for the younger students.

Arlington ISD served as a national pilot for the NFL Foundation’s InSideOut Character initiative, demonstrating how coaches of all sports, all genders can work across an entire school district to change the win-at-all-cost culture of sports.

Note: Coach-submitted video and photos are available upon request to Cowboys Community Relations.

Thank You, Coach

For the first time, NFL Draft Prospects will have the opportunity to say, “Thank You, Coach” to the high school coach who most impacted their life and path to the NFL. Each Draft Prospect invited to the NFL Draft may invite his high school coach to Dallas to participate in the festivities and each coach will receive a $2,500 equipment grant.

Activities include a welcome reception, a behind-the-scenes tour of the NFL Draft, and an opportunity to attend the 2018 NFL Draft and witness their former athlete become a member of the NFL family.

NFL Play Football Clinics

Thousands of children from the Dallas community and visitors attending the 2018 Draft are invited to take part in free, public non-contact football clinics, which will take place at the Play Football Field presented by Danimals at NFL Draft Experience presented by Oikos Triple Zero® April 26-28. Clinics are open to boys and girls ages 6-17.

Daily clinics are open on a first-come, first-served basis. Clinic times are listed below:

Thursday, April 26: 12:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Friday, April 27: 12:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Saturday, April 28: 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM

NFL PLAY 60 Zone presented by Danimals,

An interactive area specifically designed for the youngest NFL fans to get active and moving, the NFL PLAY 60 Zone presented by Danimals inside NFL Draft Experience presented by Oikos Triple Zero® at includes an obstacle course, virtual fitness stations and more. A sampling of attractions includes:

NFL PLAY 60 Zone Obstacle Course presented by SpaghettiOs – Race through agility drills just like the pros. Test your high jump abilities and weave through mini tackling dummies.
Kids’ Quarterback Challenge – Test your passing skills.
Gear Up and Go – Try on NFL equipment and feel what it’s like to gear up for gameday.
Kids’ Extra Point Kick – Test your ability to kick a field goal through the uprights.

· NFL PLAY 60 App Station – Run, jump and turn through a simulated world in an app designed by NFL PLAY 60 and the American Heart Association.

NFL RUSH Green Screen – Take a photo at the NFL RUSH green screen and play football minigames as your favorite team on the NFL RUSH Gameday app.

Fuel Up to Play 60 NFL Draft Student Reporter

TRINITY WILLIAMS, a student at Frisco Heritage High School, will serve as the Fuel Up to Play 60 (FUTP 60) Student Reporter at the 2018 NFL Draft. Williams will participate in various events leading up to the Draft, including the Fuel Up to Play 60 Touchdown Celebration event on Tuesday, April 24 as well as a behind-the-scenes experience of Draft Night on Thursday, April 26 which includes an opportunity to cover the Red Carpet, a tour of AT&T stadium, and access to press conferences with prospects after they’ve been drafted. On Saturday, April 29, Williams will announce a Round 7 Draft pick on-stage at AT&T Stadium.

A varsity athlete and member of the FUTP 60 Youth Council, Williams is an active member in her community – encouraging kids to live healthier lives and working to implement the FUTP 60 program at every school she has attended. In 2016, Williams was an advocate and spokesperson announcing Dairy MAX as the Official Nutrition of the Dallas Cowboys.

Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by the National Dairy Council and the NFL, in collaboration with the USDA, to help encourage kids to lead healthier lives.

NFL Draft Special Guests

The following are unique ways that special guests from the NFL Family and several of the NFL’s nonprofit partners will participate in Draft festivities.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital^® Pick Announcement

St. Jude patient AUSTIN will join COMMISSIONER GOODELL onstage at AT&T Stadium to announce the Denver Broncos’ Round 1 pick on Thursday, April 26. This week, Austin, Broncos’ fan, joined NFL Network’s “Up to the Minute” to break the news and analyze the team’s Draft needs – watch here.

An aspiring NFL broadcaster, Austin, 17, from New Mexico, was diagnosed with oligoastrocytoma, a rare form of cancer, at the age of two and has been in remission since 2007. Today, as a junior in high school, Austin is an announcer for a sports radio show in his hometown and is an on-air personality and prep sports statistician for local ESPN radio in New Mexico.

NFL PLAY 60 is the “official champion of play” at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, helping to give all kids the chance to PLAY 60 and lead active and healthy lives. Earlier this year, during the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine, NFL Network host RICH EISEN ran the 14^th annual ‘Run Rich Run’ 40-yard dash to benefit the NFL PLAY 60 relationship with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Salute to Service – Military Appreciation

The NFL will honor and welcome active duty service members, veterans and their families at events throughout Draft Week.

On Thursday, April 26 a joint color guard from Joint Base Naval Air Station in Fort Worth will join talent on-stage during the National Anthem to open the Draft.

On Friday, April 27, the NFL will continue to honor our Nation’s heroes in unique ways, including military appreciation moments during Rounds 2 and 3.

In addition, the NFL is teaming with the USO, TAPS and Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) to host active duty service members from all five branches of the military and veterans as guests at the Draft for all three days.

Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Recognition

Round 3 Draft announcements will feature past recipients and team winners of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide, including the 2013 national award winner and former Chicago Bears cornerback CHARLES TILLMAN.

The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award recognizes a player for his excellence on and off the field and represents the best of the NFL’s commitment to philanthropy and community impact.

Youth and High School Football

During Round 1, football captains from six Arlington ISD schools will take the stage alongside COMMISSIONER GOODELL and represent the Dallas Cowboys during their Round 1 pick. Prior to the pick announcement, the teams will walk the Red Carpet alongside Draft prospects.

Below is the list of high schools whose football players will be represented:

Arlington High School
Bowie High School
Juan Seguin High School
Lamar High School
Martin High School
Sam Houston High School

Round 6 of the NFL Draft will be Play Football-themed and celebrate youth and high school football participants across the country. Youth football players from NFL FLAG and local youth and high school football have been selected by NFL Clubs to announce Round 6 picks from various locations throughout the country.

NFL Draft Experience presented by Oikos Triple Zero®

As previously announced, fans will have the opportunity to take part in free activities throughout Draft week at NFL Draft Experience presented by Oikos Triple Zero®. Tickets are not required.

The NFL will host a media preview of Draft Experience and the Draft theater at AT&T Stadium on Wednesday, April 25 at 12:00 PM.

Spanning the size of nearly 26 football fields, the free NFL Draft Experience is an expansive, interactive celebration outside of AT&T Stadium. Fans of all ages may participate in interactive exhibits, immersive games, virtual reality experiences, free player autograph sessions and more.

By registering for Fan Mobile Pass, fans will enjoy an enhanced experience, receive a personal scan code giving them exclusive access to NFL Draft Experience attractions, and have the chance to receive standby tickets to the NFL Draft Theater. Additional information can be found at NFL.com/DraftExperience.

The Draft will once again be set in primetime for Rounds 1-3. Round 1 will take place on Thursday, April 26 while Rounds 2-3 will be held on Friday, April 27. The Draft will conclude on Saturday, April 28 with Rounds 4-7.

Celebrating Creativity Through Student Art Installation

AT&T Stadium will celebrate student creativity by hosting an installation of football-themed art helmets created by Arlington ISD 7th-graders at NFL Draft Experience presented by Oikos Triple Zero®. Since the art program’s inception, more than 13,500 Arlington ISD elementary students have visited AT&T Stadium and created artwork inspired by the Dallas Cowboys Art Collection housed at the venue.

The helmets, designed by Arlington ISD students who were the first to graduate from the stadium art program in 2015, will be signed by NFL Draft Community Ambassador and former Dallas Cowboy DEMARCUS WARE and made available on NFL Auction beginning April 26, with proceeds benefiting future Arlington ISD art programs.

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Tags: 2018 NFL Draft, Arlington High School, Arlington Tx, AT&T Stadium, Bowie High School, Dallas Tx, Demarcus Ware, Fan Mobile Pass, Juan Seguin High School, Lamar High School, Martin High School, NFL, Rodger Gooddell, Sam Houston High School, The Hype Magazine

About the Author

Landon Buford Washington State Graduate Past Interviews include Grammy Award Winner Kenny G, David Banner, WNBA President Lisa Borders, What's Trending's CEO Shira Lazar, Ice Cube, NBC's Chicago PD LaRoyce Hawkins, Family Matters Darius McCrary, En Vogues Maxine Jones, Team USA Track & Field Member Norris Frederick, James Kyson, WNBA Great Lauren Jackson, and more.