Today, Pierre Garcon is a star player for the Indianapolis Colts.
During his rookie year in 2008, the wide receiver did something that only a handful of young players have had an opportunity to do: Compete in the Super Bowl.
It wasn’t long ago, however, that the 25-year-old was just another kid with a dream.
“I grew up in Florida, and it’s a whole lot of sports down there besides football,” Garcon told the Recorder. “You play all the sports you can until you find something you’re good at and then you just stick to it.”
Garcon found his niche after meeting former New Giants quarterback Danny Kanell, who visited his middle school. The encounter changed the young athlete’s life.
“He was an NFL player and pretty cool. I said to myself, ‘I want to be just like him,'” Garcon stated. It was the moment that set him on the path to a fun career.
Garcon would like to see today’s youth experience that same kind of moment, which is why he is encouraging families to sign up for the NFL Experience, which is one of many activities being presented that will lead up to Super Bowl XLVI, taking place in Indianapolis in February.
Described as “pro football’s interactive theme park,” The NFL Experience will fill more than 850,000 square feet of the Indiana Convention Center with more than 75 interactive activities and entertainment attractions, kids’ football clinics, the official NFL Shop, the largest memorabilia show ever, and special appearances by more than 50 NFL players and coaches.
Organizers say the festival provides a safe and fun opportunity for football fans of every age and skill level to experience first-hand how NFL athletes train and play.
The NFL Experience will be held at the Convention Center from Jan 27. to Feb. 4, the day before the “big game.”
People are encouraged to start buying tickets now, especially those who need to save or budget for tickets to ensure everyone in their family can participate. Tickets are priced at $20 for children and $25 for adults.
Proceeds from the event will be used to establish Indiana’s first Youth Education Town, an enrichment center for under-served youth in diverse areas of the city. The NFL leads efforts to set up a Youth Education Town in every city that hosts the Super Bowl.
“Participating in Super Bowl events is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and the NFL Experience basically gives you a chance to play like the pros. We invite everyone to come downtown and join the celebration,” said McKenze Rogers, marketing and communications coordinator for the Super Bowl Host Committee, which is organizing events associated with the game.
Garcon said he would like to see kids feel the same joy he had after attending the 1999 NFL Experience as a junior high school student, when the Super Bowl was held in Miami.
“Actually being around NFL players gives you the motivation to really know that you can do something and really see yourself in the future,” he said. “It really inspires the kids, as it did me.”
Although he had a decent childhood, Garcon realizes that there are many kids who are troubled and at risk of making poor choices. Exposure to outlets of talent such as athletics and performing arts, he believes, can help them reach their full potential.
“We just encourage people to come out to the NFL Experience, talk to the NFL players, learn as much as they can and enjoy themselves,” Garcon said.
