Football activities on Tuesdays in the NFL are typically reserved for free agent tryouts. If that was the case today, more than 200 eager players converged on Redskins Park.
No, it wasn't a mass talent search, but rather the Coca-Cola 'Get The Ball Rolling Flag Football Experience,' designed for more than 200 area middle school students and hosted by the Redskins Charitable Foundation.
Redskins DeAngelo Hall, Alfred Morris, Stephen Bowen, Darrel Young and Josh Wilson led four different teams from Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia through warmup, workouts and various healthy habits.
The event falls under Coca-Cola's Live Positively initiative, and is deisgned to inspire kids to stay active, promote healthy living and experience the hollistic effects of being active.
Few players can appreciate that more than running back Alfred Morris, who saw much of himself in the students he played football with inside the bubble.
"A lot of these kids come from a lot of the same type of areas that I came from and there's not much hope there," he said. "A lot of them are in poverty, relying on public aide, and that's how I grew up. I can definitely relate to that and give back to them to let them know that there is hope.
"You don't have to accept your surroundings and circumstances, and there's more to life than what you're surrounded by. You can set goals and work hard to achieve them in order to get where you want to be."
Morris' chronically positive attitude resonated with the children, who mobbed him for autographs after the event ended. While his teammates had to head back inside to receive physical therapy and treatment, Morris stayed and signed for each student, imparting a few words of wisdom with each.
"Live positively is definitely something that I live by, myself, as cliche as that might sound," he said with a trademark smile. "I think positivity is a choice, and it's a choice that everybody should make.
No matter what the negative is that comes your way, you can either dwell and sulk in it, or you can make the choice to choose positivity. You can find happiness in any situation."
For as excited as the students were to interact with the five players, the five players were excited to finally get to play all-time quarterback in the games.
But with the glamor of the situation, comes the responsibility of expecations.
"That kid right there picked me off with a one-handed interception," cornerback Josh Wilson said. "He and his buddy were way better than kids should be in middle school. Give those kids a contract."
Whereas most football experiences are just the boys, today's event brought everyone together, and Wilson reported that the girls in the group more than held their own.
"I handed it off and this girl just ran over a boy," he said with a laugh. "It was a pretty large boy and she just ran him over on her way to the end zone. She knows what she's doing out there.
"I'm trying to get some autographs from these kids early and sign them to futures contracts. I'm spotting talent for my future as an agent."
Wilson said he was impressed with the coed experience, but was really happy to see all kids getting out and staying active.
"Anyone can play in a flag football setting," he said. "It's just exercise at the end of the day and that's important. As long as everyone's having a good time and enjoying the experience, I'm down for it."
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