VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - A 9-year-old boy from Virginia Beach was chosen as NFL PLAY 60 Super Kid and will hand the game ball to officials at the Super Bowl.
Thomas Brown loves the Pittsburgh Steelers, especially Troy Polamalu. He entered the NFL PLAY 60 Super Bowl Contest on NFLRUSH.com, which his the NFL's official website for kids.
Thomas pledged to be active for 60 minutes every day and had to answer three questions:
- If you could tell your favorite team what healthy foods they needed to eat, what would you suggest and why?
- What do you think your favorite player does to stay fit?
- Who is your favorite player on your local NFL team and how does he inspire you to PLAY 60?
"I would tell them to eat healthy foods that are not artificial," Thomas wrote in his essay. "Eat veggies, lots of protein to build muscles, and stay away from junk food. It will also make your hair shinier, especially Troy. I think they should do this because I tried it and it has made me a better player on the field and a better student in the classroom."
Thomas also talked about how he carries his love of the Steelers with him as his family moves around the country. His father, Shannon, is a lieutenant colonel with the Marines and flies FA-18 fighter jets.
"Like other military families, my wife and boys have had to sacrifice a lot over the years during my deployments overseas," Shannon said.
Tuesday, Thomas went to Pittsburgh for a surprise dinner with Polamalu and was able to tour the Steelers facility Wednesday, spending time with president Art Rooney II as well as players Heath Miller, a University of Virginia alumnus, and Maurkice Pouncey.
During the week leading up to the Super Bowl in New York City, Thomas will get to spend time at Super Bowl Boulevard Engineered by GMC, which is the epicenter for NFL fans in NYC. He'll be one of the first to ride the 180-foot Toboggan Run in Times Square.
Thomas will hand the game ball to officials just moments before kickoff at Super Bowl XLVIII, which will be seen on FOX43TV Feb. 2.
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