The National Football League is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Super Bowl this year in a variety of ways.
For example, if you look at the field markings on an NFL field this year, the number “50” that is at the midfield stripe is gold, rather than the customary white. The NFL shield has a gold rendition, rather than the customary red, white and blue. That’s part of the Super Bowl anniversary recognition.
In addition, the league is providing special golden footballs to every high school that has produced a former player who participated in a Super Bowl. In many instances, these former players are personally delivering the footballs to their schools and often visiting with the current members of the football team.
North Carolina has had a number of former high school standouts go on to play collegiately and then in the NFL and compete in a Super Bowl, and several of those players are scheduled to visit their schools in the next few days to deliver the gold footballs.
Among those who are tentatively scheduled to deliver those footballs are Rod McSwain of Forest City, who attended Chase; DeMario Pressley of Greensboro, who played at Dudley; Madison Hedgecock of Thomasville, a former Ledford star; Dan Medlin of Thomasville, who played at Thomasville; Reuben Davis of Greensboro, who was a standout at Grimsley; Vonta Leach of Rowland, who was a star at South Robeson; and Sammy Johnson of High Point, who attended High Point Central.
Several other member schools, such as Northern Durham, have already received a visit from an alumnus who brought the football to the school, as Steve Wilson delivered that ball to Northern. Lin Dawson of Kinston delivered a golden football to Kinston High.
This schedule could be subject to change, but we wanted to highlight just some of the NFL players who participated in a Super Bowl and the whole “golden football” project as part of this year of celebration for the Super Bowl.
We are grateful to the Carolina Panthers of the NFL for providing additional information about this program!
