JVillain
05-24-2007, 09:48 AM
Let's start the summer off with a positive story.
http://www.jaguars.com/news/article.aspx?id=6046
Special visitors from the North
Barrow, Alaska football team visits Jacksonville
By Ryan Robinson, jaguars.com writer
05/23/07
Wednesdaywas not a typical offseason workout day for the Jacksonville Jaguars onthe practice fields outside Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. A crowd ofmore than 100 invited guests watched from the sidelines as the teamwent through a 90-minute workout.
The Jaguars hosted playersand coaches from the Barrow Whalers, a high school football team inAlaska, along with members of the Bartram Trail High School footballteam in Jacksonville. A group of 40 from Barrow flew to Jacksonville onSaturday and have been practicing this week and enjoying life inFlorida. The Whalers are preparing for their second season of play, butthey will hopefully be playing on a new artificial turf field thanks toProject Alaska.
The team was forced to play their games on afield made up of mostly gravel in their inaugural season. ESPN aired astory last fall about the program and several family members at BartramTrail, led by offensive coordinator Carl Parker’s wife Cathy, decidedto get involved and form Project Alaska. Barrow is a city ofapproximately 4,800. The goal of Project Alaska is to finance a turffield at their school.
“It’s a great experience for these youngpeople to come down and visit us and see how we practice and do thingshere,” said Jaguars Owner Wayne Weaver as he greeted guests and watchedpractice. “I think it’s equally a great experience for the kids atBartram Trail. Understanding the culture and the things we take forgranted here, these kids have no perception of that. So, it’s a greatexperience for both and we are glad to host them and give them a chanceto see our team. They will have the opportunity to take back somelessons, but what they will take back is the relationships that theyhave built here.”
Jaguars Head Coach Jack Del Rio (http://www.jaguars.com/team/bio/2397.asp) was equally happy to host the group for practice and lunch.
“Itwas nice to be able to work today with a little different environmentout there, having a couple of high school teams watching,” Del Riosaid. “It made it a little more fun today for our guys. I know whatBartram Trail is doing is really special to be able to reach out andhelp another school like that. They are having a big impact and I knowthat is greatly appreciated.”
Del Rio spoke with several of thevisiting coaches and players following practice and had lunch withBarrow Head Coach Mark Voss and members of the Bartram Trail coachingstaff. All three teams ate a barbeque lunch together after the morningworkout.
“It means a lot that they want to continue to play and pursue their dreams and get an education,” Del Rio said.
Theplayers enjoyed watching practice and could be overheard talking aboutthe size of NFL players. The most important topic on their mind was theheat, something they aren’t accustomed to.
“Right now, it is probably around 30 degrees back home,” a Whalers player said. “This is really warm for us.”
The guests clearly enjoyed the opportunity to have lunch with the Jaguars players and coaches. Running back Maurice Jones-Drew (http://www.jaguars.com/team/bio/2645.asp) held court at a table while more than 20 players from Alaska listened to him talk about life in the NFL.
“It was fun to be around these kids,” Jones-Drew said.
Followinglunch, Bartram Trail and Barrow each practiced on the fields. EachWhalers player was in full pads and sporting a new pair of cleatsdonated by the Jaguars today.
“I think it’s going to be areally, really long time before it sinks in on these guys," Voss said.“All of them are very appreciative, but three or four weeks from nowthey are going to be like, ‘Wow, we were on the field with theJaguars.’ I think it will be a big, big deal.”
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PROJECT ALASKA CAN BE FOUND AT WWW.PROJECTALASKATURF.COM (http://www.projectalaskaturf.com/)
http://www.jaguars.com/news/article.aspx?id=6046
Special visitors from the North
Barrow, Alaska football team visits Jacksonville
By Ryan Robinson, jaguars.com writer
05/23/07
Wednesdaywas not a typical offseason workout day for the Jacksonville Jaguars onthe practice fields outside Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. A crowd ofmore than 100 invited guests watched from the sidelines as the teamwent through a 90-minute workout.
The Jaguars hosted playersand coaches from the Barrow Whalers, a high school football team inAlaska, along with members of the Bartram Trail High School footballteam in Jacksonville. A group of 40 from Barrow flew to Jacksonville onSaturday and have been practicing this week and enjoying life inFlorida. The Whalers are preparing for their second season of play, butthey will hopefully be playing on a new artificial turf field thanks toProject Alaska.
The team was forced to play their games on afield made up of mostly gravel in their inaugural season. ESPN aired astory last fall about the program and several family members at BartramTrail, led by offensive coordinator Carl Parker’s wife Cathy, decidedto get involved and form Project Alaska. Barrow is a city ofapproximately 4,800. The goal of Project Alaska is to finance a turffield at their school.
“It’s a great experience for these youngpeople to come down and visit us and see how we practice and do thingshere,” said Jaguars Owner Wayne Weaver as he greeted guests and watchedpractice. “I think it’s equally a great experience for the kids atBartram Trail. Understanding the culture and the things we take forgranted here, these kids have no perception of that. So, it’s a greatexperience for both and we are glad to host them and give them a chanceto see our team. They will have the opportunity to take back somelessons, but what they will take back is the relationships that theyhave built here.”
Jaguars Head Coach Jack Del Rio (http://www.jaguars.com/team/bio/2397.asp) was equally happy to host the group for practice and lunch.
“Itwas nice to be able to work today with a little different environmentout there, having a couple of high school teams watching,” Del Riosaid. “It made it a little more fun today for our guys. I know whatBartram Trail is doing is really special to be able to reach out andhelp another school like that. They are having a big impact and I knowthat is greatly appreciated.”
Del Rio spoke with several of thevisiting coaches and players following practice and had lunch withBarrow Head Coach Mark Voss and members of the Bartram Trail coachingstaff. All three teams ate a barbeque lunch together after the morningworkout.
“It means a lot that they want to continue to play and pursue their dreams and get an education,” Del Rio said.
Theplayers enjoyed watching practice and could be overheard talking aboutthe size of NFL players. The most important topic on their mind was theheat, something they aren’t accustomed to.
“Right now, it is probably around 30 degrees back home,” a Whalers player said. “This is really warm for us.”
The guests clearly enjoyed the opportunity to have lunch with the Jaguars players and coaches. Running back Maurice Jones-Drew (http://www.jaguars.com/team/bio/2645.asp) held court at a table while more than 20 players from Alaska listened to him talk about life in the NFL.
“It was fun to be around these kids,” Jones-Drew said.
Followinglunch, Bartram Trail and Barrow each practiced on the fields. EachWhalers player was in full pads and sporting a new pair of cleatsdonated by the Jaguars today.
“I think it’s going to be areally, really long time before it sinks in on these guys," Voss said.“All of them are very appreciative, but three or four weeks from nowthey are going to be like, ‘Wow, we were on the field with theJaguars.’ I think it will be a big, big deal.”
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PROJECT ALASKA CAN BE FOUND AT WWW.PROJECTALASKATURF.COM (http://www.projectalaskaturf.com/)