NFL Launches Mascot Ambassador Program to Boost Youth Physical Activity in Texas Schools

The National Football League has launched a new initiative featuring six team mascots as ambassadors for the NFL PLAY 60 program, partnering with the American Heart Association to encourage children to engage in at least 60 minutes of daily physical activity. The program, now in its 19th season, aims to reduce sedentary behaviors among youth while supporting both immediate and long-term health benefits through evidence-based guidance that connects physical activity with improved learning, focus, and classroom performance.

Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association, emphasized that collaborating with NFL mascots brings scientific guidelines to life in an engaging manner, helping children develop healthy habits for optimal growth. The longstanding partnership between the NFL and the Association focuses on building healthier lives through physical activity, heart health, and safety initiatives that have evolved to meet contemporary needs of children.

The inaugural class of NFL PLAY 60 mascot ambassadors includes Freddie Falcon (Atlanta Falcons), Gumbo (New Orleans Saints), Rampage (Los Angeles Rams), Rowdy (Dallas Cowboys), Sir Purr (Carolina Panthers), and T-Rac (Tennessee Titans). These characters will encourage physical activity throughout the school year by promoting exercise ideas, healthy habit choices, and team spirit, bringing a game-day atmosphere to the program that resonates with communities nationwide.

The program integrates with the American Heart Association's school-based initiatives, including the Kids Heart Challenge and American Heart Challenge, providing resources for physical activity both at school and home. Additional learning modules cover individual health improvement, friendship skills, and community support, including Hands-Only CPR instruction. Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, a cardiac arrest survivor and Nation of Lifesavers National Ambassador, appears in an introductory video for the CPR component, with students who complete the training earning entries for Super Bowl LXI tickets and schools eligible for $10,000 fitness equipment makeovers.

Families can participate through the NFL PLAY 60 Family Challenge, which combines quality time with wellness by encouraging creative movement activities at home. The mascot ambassadors are also featured in the NFL PLAY 60 Exercise Library, offering two-to-three minute on-demand exercise videos from all 32 NFL clubs. These resources assist parents, teachers, and caregivers in maintaining physical activity during inclement weather, classroom refocusing breaks, or daily fitness intervals to help children reach the 60-minute movement goal.