Come outside and play, and you'll feel great, says Buccaneers DE Greg White
The sheets of rain pouring from the sky prevented anyone but the heartiest souls from going outside to get some exercise in Clearwater on Tuesday. However, if the words of defensive end Greg White and wide receiver Maurice Stovall served their purpose, the students of John F. Kennedy Middle School were out there playing as soon as the weather permitted.
The two Tampa Bay Buccaneers were at JFK Middle School on Tuesday as part of the "What Moves U" campaign, a joint effort between the American Heart Association and the NFL to promote healthy lifestyles and exercise to youths across the country.
Tuesday's event was the fifth of six stops at local schools scheduled for various Bucs since October. After the "What Moves U" tour is complete, 10 students will be chosen to compete in a challenge at One Buccaneer Place in March, with the schools of the top three competitors winning physical fitness equipment valued at $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000, respectively.
During Tuesday's stop, Stovall and White took turns talking about the importance of exercise and staying healthy. They also sprinkled in a few questions of their own for the students, quizzing them on their favorite after-school activities and sports teams.
Stovall even popped a quiz on the assembly, pressing the students on hand to guess how much his teammate weighed. It took a few scattered responses before someone finally settled on White's 280 pounds.
After their introductory talks, White and Stovall split up into two teams with some of the students and staff and competed in a trivia game with questions centered on nutrition and exercise. Despite his best efforts, White was left shaking his head in disgust as his team was beaten soundly by Stovall's crew. Stovall celebrated by raising his arms toward the crowd as they cheered in return.
The two Bucs then fielded some questions from the students in attendance, talking about everything from their first experiences playing football to their feelings on game day.
White further excited the students in the bleachers as he tossed foam footballs and t-shirts into the crowd, and the always-energetic defensive end smiled as he talked about the event.
"I had a blast today," White said. "It was a good thing to do to come out here with these kids. I persevered and these kids can too, given the opportunity, so it was great for me to be there."
White, known as a ball of energy both on the field and off, was quick to point out that he is fueled by a healthy, active lifestyle.
"You feel better, you look better, you just have more energy to do a lot more things [when you stay active]," he said.
