Panini Blog Young NFL Stars, Kids Provide Highlights at 2015 Panini Pop Warner Skills Clinic

[Panini Blog]

PHOENIX — Friday night inside an action-packed YMCA/ASU Sun Devil Fitness Facility in downtown Phoenix, Panini America and Pop Warner joined forces for the 8th Annual Panini Pop Warner Skills Clinic as more than 150 players from Phoenix-area Pop Warner programs were treated to expert coaching — and memories of a lifetime — thanks to NFL stars LeSean McCoy of the Philadelphia Eagles, Teddy Bridgewater of the Minnesota Vikings, Andy Dalton of the Cincinnati Bengals, Jarvis Landry of the Miami Dolphins and Kenny Stills of the New Orleans Saints.

The result: Wall-to-wall smiles on seemingly every face in the house (especially the guest coaches), football fundamentals across four sprawling drill stations and a true night to remember just two days before Super Bowl XLIX.


On one side of the third-story gym, quarterbacks Dalton and Bridgewater drilled young Pop Warner athletes on the finer points of the passing game; on the other, receivers Stills and Landry schooled kids on the importance of proper route-running and catching with the hands. For his part, McCoy, one of the most dynamic running backs in the game, worked with the kid on running routes out of the backfield and the best way to receive handoffs.

But no matter how insightful their on-field teachings were, to a man, the NFL stars in attendance — who worked up just as much sweat as the kids they were coaching — stressed the importance of education, having fun and working hard. Those points certainly weren’t lost on the young athletes in the gym, including Panini Super Bowl Kid Reporter Dylan Cooperider.

You can check out some of the memorable scenes from the 8th Annual Panini Pop Warner Skills Clinic in the gallery that follows, compliments of photographer Dave Cruz. In the coming days here on The Knight’s Lance, we’ll bring you a true must-see video that details all of the action.

Continue reading...