Arizona Pop Warner North Association: PWLS Newsletter
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Terrell Davis (right) and his former Pop Warner coach, Frank White.
Did you know that, according to the National Football League Players Association, approximately 60-70% of all NFL players once suited up for a Pop Warner squad? The Denver Broncos Terrell Davis, the New England Patriots Drew Bledsoe and the Washington Redskins Deion Sanders are just a few of today's stars who came through the Pop Warner ranks.
Retired stars such as former Super Bowl MVP Quarterbacks John Elway (Denver Broncos) and Joe Montana (San Francisco 49ers) also played for a local Pop Warner team. The Pop Warner/NFL connection extends beyond the playing field as well.
From NFL sponsored youth bowl games like the Jacksonville Pop Warner Junior Jaguar Bowl to an NFLPA scholarship program to charitable contributions to Pop Warner teams, the NFL and Pop Warner Little Scholars are influential to both the youth football player of yesterday and today. Here's a look at what the areas the two organizations have in common:
Some current NFL players who played Pop Warner
Drew Bledsoe, New England Patriots
Isaac Bruce, St. Louis Rams
Chris Carter, Minnesota Vikings (2000 NFL Man of the Year)
Tim Couch, Cleveland Browns
Terrell Davis, Denver Broncos (Played Pop Warner in San Diego, CA)
Received Pop Warners Inspiration to Youth Award, 1999
Doug Flutie, Buffalo Bills
Eddie George, Tennessee Titans (Played Pop Warner in Abington, PA)
Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City Chiefs
Edgerrin James, Indianapolis Colts (Played Pop Warner in Immokoalee, FL)
Keenan McCardell, Jacksonville Jaguars (Played Pop Warner in Houston, TX)
Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles (Played Pop Warner in Dolton, IL)
Played for the Harvey Colts
Jake Plummer, Arizona Cardinals
Deion Sanders, Washington Redskins (Played Pop Warner in Ft. Meyers, FL)
Played for the Ft. Meyers Rebels
Junior Seau, San Diego Chargers
Received Pop Warners Inspiration to Youth Award, 1994
Akili Smith, Cincinnati Bengals (Donated $10,000 to Pop Warner football team to purchase new equipment, last year)
Emmitt Smith, Dallas Cowboys
Received Pop Warners Inspiration to Youth Award, 1996
Michael Strahan, New York Giants
Vinny Testaverde, New York Jets
Some past NFL Greats with a playing history in Pop Warner
Marcus Allen, Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs (Played Pop Warner in San Diego, CA)
John Elway, Denver Broncos
Boomer Esiason, Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets
Jim Kelly, Buffalo Bills
Ronnie Lott, San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders, New York Jets
Inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame, 2000
Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs
Inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame, 2000
Lynn Swann, Pittsburgh Steelers
Received Pop Warners Joseph J. Tomlin Award, 2000
Derrick Thomas, Kansas City Chiefs (Played Pop Warner in Miami, FL)
Received Pop Warners Inspiration to Youth Award, 1997
Notable NFL personalities that have been involved with Pop Warner
(past and present)
Lamar Hunt, Owner of the Kansas City Chiefs
Received the Pop Warner Award, 1997
Vince Lombardi, Former Coach of the Green Bay Packers, winning coach of Super Bowl I & II
Received Pop Warners Hall of Fame Award, 1979
Joe Robbie, Former Owner of the Miami Dolphins
Received Pop Warners Warner Award, 1984 and Tomlin Award, 1990
Don Shula, Former Coach of the Miami Dolphins, only coach to ever have an undefeated season
Received Pop Warners Hall of Fame Award, 1979
Paul Tagliabue, NFL Commissioner
Received Pop Warners Warner Award, 1993
Dick Vermeil, Former Coach of the Super Bowl XXXIV Champion, St. Louis Rams
Received Pop Warners Gold Football Award, 2000
Background facts and contributions made by the NFL to PWLS
The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) estimates that 60-70 percent of the current NFL players participated in the Pop Warner program
The NFLPA awards $10,000 dollars in scholarship money to the two top male and female Scholar-Athletes in the Pop Warner program
Various NFL Teams work in accordance with Pop Warner Leagues and Teams all over the United States (Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, New York Giants, San Diego Chargers)
The NFL Charities has granted over $100,000 to aid and assist some of the local Pop Warner associations
NFLPA send various players to appear at local or area Pop Warner events being held around the country
The Jacksonville Pop Warner Junior Jaguars Bowl has been hosted in part by the NFLs Jacksonville Jaguars for the last 5 years. They host a big party across from Alltel Stadium at the Adams Street Experience, an interactive park for kids on the night before the event. In 1996, the first Jr. Jaguars Bowl was played with 48 teams. This years Jr. Jaguars Bowl will host 70 teams.
28 out of the 31 NFL teams provided Pop Warner with gifts or autographed prizes for its 40th Annual Pop Warner Awards Program, this May in Walt Disney World
Pop Warner in NFL Cities
Out of the 30 National Football League Cities, Pop Warner Little Scholars has teams in the area of 22 of them
Baltimore, MD (Ravens)
Buffalo, NY (Bills)
Chicago, IL (Bears)
Dallas, TX (Cowboys)
Detroit, MI (Lions)
Charlotte, NC (Carolina Panthers)
Green Bay, WI (Packers)
Jacksonville, FL (Jaguars)
Kansas City, MO (Chiefs)
Miami, FL (Dolphins)
Minnesota, MN (Vikings)
Foxboro, NE (New England Patriots)
New Orleans, LA (Saints)
New York, NY/NJ (New York Giants/Jets)
Oakland, CA (Raiders)
Philadelphia, PA (Eagles)
Phoenix, AZ (Arizona Cardinals)
San Diego, CA (Chargers)
San Francisco, CA (49ers)
Tampa, FL (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Nashville, TN (Tennessee Titans)
Washington, DC (Redskins)
He Said What?
Emmitt Smith, Running Back, Dallas Cowboys-- When I played Pop Warner Football, I had a great deal of fun. You could be a kid, you could run around, you could laugh, you could holler. Those were great moments.
