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Neighbors | Submitted.The BHS football team was gifted two golden footballs by the NFL in recognition of two Boardman alumni football players playing in the Super Bowl. The balls each had the name of the Boardman Football alumni, Bernie Kosar and Steve Vallos, printed on them.
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Neighbors | Submitted.The football team is pictured with their new equipment, which was made possible by a generous grant by the NFL.
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Neighbors | Submitted.With the $3,000 granted to the football program by the NFL, the team was able to purchase much-needed new equipment.
Prior to last football season, Boardman football was presented with an opportunity from the NFL.
In celebration of the 50th Super Bowl, the NFL Foundation sent out gold footballs to commemorate any high school that had an alumni play in a Super Bowl. Boardman was represented by two former alumni, Bernie Kosar and Steve Vallos. Along with receiving the footballs, there was an opportunity to apply for a grant through the NFL Foundation.
The grant was called the 2015 Super Bowl High School Honor Roll Grant. Head Football Coach Joe Ignazio was familiar with the NFL Foundation grant process. In 2014, he worked to secure $10,000 for new uniforms. He was able to secure a grant for $5,000 from the NFL Foundation, which matched the donation and generosity of former alumni, current Green Bay Packer Center, Corey Linsley. So, when Cindy Fernback, High School Principal, and Denise Gorski, Athletic Director, shared the information with Ignazio, they got right to work.
“By the time we received everything and had time to look through the information we needed, we had about two weeks to get it completed,” Ignazio said.
They decided they would like to replace some of the equipment that had aged in their weight room facility. Most of the equipment had been purchased around 2004. Some had been replaced throughout the years, but there were several items that were in need of replacement.
“It was an easy decision for me,” Ignazio added. “Our weight room has been a foundation in which we have built our program dating back to Head Football Coach D.J. Ogilvie. It continued under Mark D’Eramo. Our kids take great pride in the hard work that goes into that room. I wanted to give something nice back to them that they would get use out of everyday.”
Once everything was finalized and the application process was completed, the waiting game began. It took a few months, but on June 21, 2016, Ignazio opened a letter from the NFL. It was a congratulatory letter stating that the NFL Foundation had granted Boardman football the amount of $3,000. The grant had to be used in direct correlation with the plan presented to the NFL Foundation for the 2015 Super Bowl High School Honor Roll Grant Program. At the end of August that same year, Boardman football received the check in the mail.
Following this football season, Ignazio made the purchase of the new equipment. The equipment included 65 new stretch bands, seven new weight lifting bars, two Hex Bars, 12 medicine balls and two compact dragging sleds.
After receiving the equipment, Boardman football was required to fill out a grant report with all of the checks, receipts and evidence of any media coverage they received as a result of this grant.
Boardman football is extremely thankful to the NFL Foundation for this opportunity.
“I am thankful for the help of Principal Fernback and our Athletic Director Denise Gorski,” Ignazio said. “It has been quite rewarding to have the opportunity to have secured $13,000 for things that our program has needed and that our kids deserve over the past three years.”