TOLEDO, Ohio — Italian Bowl XLII kicks off at the University of Toledo's Glass Bowl on Saturday. But before the professionals suit up to compete for a championship, hundreds of kids got the chance to showcase their skills.
"It means a lot, especially doing it at St. John's since it's where I went to high school. Obviously in my hometown as well, so it means everything," Cincinnati Bengals safety Tycen Anderson said. "With the help of so many people, my friends and teammates from UT and a lot of local high schoolers too. Without them, none of this would be possible."
Anderson joined fellow NFL member James Hudson III along with fellow Toledo Rockets Bryant Koback and Bryce Mitchell on Friday for the youth camp. Roughly 500 boys and girls, who didn't have to pay for the event, got an opportunity to play, learn and have fun while at St. John's High School.
"Just competing every day and having fun, that's the most important thing because once you stop having fun with football, it all goes downhill from there," James Hudson III, an offensive tackle for the Cleveland Browns, said. "Being out here with your teammates and having fun with them is what makes football what it is."
Using his experience and knowledge of the game helped inspire many of the youth.
Anderson reaffirmed the importance of enjoying the sport.
"My favorite part is just joking around with the kids and making sure that everybody isn't too serious and everyone can have fun," Anderson said. "I'm in the NFL, but at the age they are all at if you're not having fun then you might as well just go home. Just making sure they have fun and enjoy themselves is the biggest part."
Growing up in the Glass City, the ability to give back to their respective communities made for a special day. It also provided perspective knowing the group known as "Mud Made" serves as a marker for the 419.
"It's definitely special because there's not too many of us," Hudson said. "The guys who do end up making it that far, we try to stick together and remain in contact. Just uplift each other and keep motivating each other to keep getting better and keep pushing."
Fellow Central Catholic grad Michael Warren is also a part of the Toledo stardom who attended Friday's event, which capped the final lead up to the Italian Bowl. Every participant, aged 7-14, received a ticket to Saturday's game at 3 p.m.