Most come to the Bahamas and never leave the beach but not Ohio and UAB. The two teams took time out of their Bahamas Bowl preparation and celebration to give back the local Nassau community.
The day began with members of the Blazers and Bobcats visiting the Ranfurly Homes for Children to shoot some hoops and provide some motivation. You couldn’t help but notice the glow on the faces of the kids and student-athletes.
“The kids are great and have a lot of energy,” UAB quarterback A.J. Erdely said. “I think all of us players got knocked out of the little pig tournament but the children. This just shows how lucky we are, and this is bigger than football.”
The athletes are appreciative of the opportunity they have and are very aware of the opportunity they have been given.
“I just feel blessed to be here,” Ohio safety Kylan Nelson added. “I am a big believer in giving back and to come out here and do what I can. I love this kind of thing and wish I could do even more.”
After leaving Ranfurly, both groups traveled across town to the shadows of Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium to take part in a special youth football clinic. The players put the children through stretching exercises and various stations including tackling, receiving and throwing.
“We had a lot of fun today and I enjoyed talking with the kids,” Blazers safety Jordan Petty said. “One of the kids said he wanted to be Prime Minister, now that is cool.”
The afternoon concluded with a special touchdown celebration drill followed by a group photo under the uprights. We can say everyone felt the joy of scoring a touchdown today.
