Jared says: "Chargers will beat Steelers on Sunday Night!"

In one of the biggest games of the 2009 season, Jared picks the Chargers over the Steelers on Sunday night. "Sorry to all the Steeler fans. It will be a bad day in Pittsburgh." Jared will be at the game to witness the Chargers bolt their way to victory. "Look for me on the Steelers side of the field near the 25-yard line," said the Charger fan from Erie, PA. "I will be on the scoreboard end of the field."

Philip Rivers has been hot (303 yards passing last week against the Dolphins with no touchdowns) and should get a couple scoring passes. Maybe Naanee can catch a touchdown pass versus the Black and Gold. Darren Sproles gained 41 yards on the ground, caught two passes, returned two punts and three kickoffs while filling in for LT. Maybe LT will be back in action this week in the Steel City.
Final score prediction: Chargers 24, Steelers 14.
What's Your Prediction?

Hot Picks for Week 4:

My first hot pick is Peyton Manning, not because of his name, but because of his performance over the last 2 weeks. I think Manning will get some good yardage and a couple scores when Seattle comes to town this week.

Darren Sproles is my second hot pick. If LT is still on the bench, Sproles should get plenty of action against the Steelers. He didn't have a real good game last week and should come out strong.

My third pick is Felix Jones of the Dallas Cowboys. He carried 8 times for 94 yards against the Panthers last week. The Broncos are hosting Dallas. Hopefully Jones can run for over 100 yards in the high altitude.

Hi Everyone!

This is Jared bringing you my HOT PICKS for Week 2 of the NFL season. It is hard to pick a quarterback, but I'm going to go with Philip Rivers of the San Diego Chargers. Rivers completed 24 of 35 passes for 252 yards with one touchdown and one interception against the Raiders last week. He faces a tough defense in Baltimore this week.

For my running back, MJD of the Jacksonville Jaguars had been sharing the running back spot until this year. Now, it is just him and the end zone after a 97 yard, 1 touchdown performance against the Colts when the Jags face Arizona this week.

For my wide receiver, I think Wes Welker of the New England Patriots will break out against the NY Jets. Welker had 12 catches for 93 yards but didn't score last week against the Bills. He should find the end zone at least twice this week on passes from Tom Brady.

Top Play of the Week
While I'm glad the Chargers won 24-20 over the Raiders on Monday Night Football, the play of the week happened on Sunday in the Denver/Cincinnati game. Brandon Stokley, a former Indianapolis Colt, caught a tipped pass for a 57-yard touchdown to win the game for the Broncos. I couldn't believe it the first time I saw it. I had to rewind and play it again. Check it out on NFL.com Can't Miss Plays.

I hope your favorite team does well this week. Go Chargers.

Jared

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My quarterback would be Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints.  I picked him because he is a great QB and I have followed him throughout his NFL and college career.  He is one of the reasons I started following the San Diego Chargers a long time ago. His fantasy stats have always been very good and he is a very high pick each year.

At the running back position, I chose Maurice Jones-Drew.   Jones-Drew plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars.  He has shared time over the past two years with another player who was traded at the end of the season.  I think he will have a good year since he is the feature back for the first time in his career.

From the Super Bowl runner-up Arizona Cardinals, I picked Larry Fitzgerald at the wide receiver spot.  He had a great season in 2008 and couldn’t be stopped, even in the Super Bowl.  He is still young and will have a better season than last year.

Jason Witten of the Dallas Cowboys rounds out my offensive selections at tight end.  Witten has been a steady performer over the last 3 seasons, averaging 12 yards per catch and 4 touchdowns per season.  He has also had to play with injuries in 2008.  He is Tony Romo’s favorite target and with Terrell Owens moving to Buffalo, he might even get more touches.

The San Diego Chargers (my team) are a good pick for the defense.  Shawne Merriman will return to help after missing most of last year with a left knee injury.  The Bolts are averaging 20 interceptions over the past three seasons along with 43 sacks per year.  When you add in Darren Sproles on special teams, the Chargers are ready to “shock” some people this year!

CLICK HERE to pick your NFLRUSH Fantasy Football team!

While we were on the vacation we were able to visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the BEST Hall of Fame that I have ever been to. I have been to the Soccer, Baseball and Basketball Hall of Fames too. The Pro Football Hall of Fame is really fun. It is in Canton, Ohio.

There were interactive touch screen computers for almost all of the exhibits. The computer exhibits let you search the computers for people inducted into the Hall of Fame by position, name and team. There was audio and video clips of the old players and their most memorable moments in their football history. There were exhibits that had old jerseys or other football things and then stories to either read or listen to that told you about those things.

My favorite interactive station was the trivia corner. They asked you trivia questions from about 50 years ago to now. They gave you 5 questions and then a bonus question to answer. I knew some of the answers.

Another interactive station was one that showed you how to design your own Super Bowl ring. You had to pick the shape, type of gold, colors, logo and the bling!! I decided to design the Chargers Super Bowl ring. (Maybe when they win the Super Bowl this year they will use my design!) The ring is then displayed on a large screen monitor that was mounted on the wall above the exhibit.

I even got to play the new Madden 10 before it was released to everyone else in the world. The new Madden seemed to look more realistic on the screen. I really hope I can get Madden 10 this year. I love to play Madden football when it is rainy and I can’t PLAY 60 outside.

I really liked the Super Bowl XLII display because that was the Super Bowl I was at. There was a really nice man, the curator, Mr. Jason Aikens, who found the Super Bowl XLII football in storage. I got to have a picture taken of me holding the ball in front of the display. All of the staff and volunteers were very helpful and knew lots of answers to my questions.

I think if you are a football fan you should go visit because it is a great fun and a cool way to learn about football and its history.

Jared

Fifty years ago, the American Football League (AFL) was formed.  The San Diego Chargers, my favorite team, was one of the eight teams in the AFL.  With the tradition and history of the AFL being celebrated this season, I took a look at some changes in football over the last 50 years.

I asked plenty of people questions:  sportswriters; sportscasters; and my grandfathers (they have seen plenty of changes since they are both over 70 years old).  The five main changes that people told me about were:  TV; training methods and diet; uniforms; defensive rules and passing changes. 

Television has changed the way people have watched football games.  Before the 1960’s, people could watch regional broadcasts, listen to the game on the radio or check the story in the paper the next day.  With technology, you can watch it live all over the world or record it to watch it later.  TV has also increased the number of fans.

Training for the season has really changed in the last 50 years.  Most players didn’t stay too active during the off season in the 1950’s.  Today, every team has lots of training camps and different ideas on how to prepare (stay in shape) before the season starts.  Lifting weights and resistance training with big rubber bands and/or parachutes are just a couple of training methods I learned about.

Uniforms have made history, too.  Early NFL players didn’t have as many pads and early helmets were made of leather.  Take a tour of some old football pictures.  Most players might be missing a tooth or two in their smile.  Mouthpieces have helped save plenty of teeth over the years. Footwear has also evolved.  Many different shoes companies give players and fans hundreds of choices on what to wear.  Logos and names of teams and players added to the jerseys have allowed fans to identify their favorites while watching TV or looking at pictures.

The defensive rules on holding the wide receivers or tight ends have increased the passing game to all-time highs.  Players are also much faster and stronger because of training stuff that I mentioned earlier.  All of this has really pushed scoring up, too.

The American Football League started in 1959 with the San Diego Chargers, Houston Oilers, Buffalo Bills, Boston Patriots, Oakland Raiders, New York Titans, Denver Broncos, and the Dallas Texans.  Miami and Cincinnati later joined the AFL teams.  For the first eleven years, the AFL and NFL played separate schedules and had two different drafts.  They did play a championship game, starting in 1967, that later became the Super Bowl.  The two leagues finally merged in 1970.

Everyone that is a football fan knows who LT is in today’s game.  But, 50 years in the making, some Chargers stand out. Do you know who Lance Alworth is?  How about Ernie Ladd, John Hadl, Dan Fouts, and Kellen Winslow?  They all made their mark in Chargers’ history and three have reached the Hall of Fame in Canton, OH.

1. Next time, I’ll take a look at training camp and what to expect for this season.   Let’s hope San Diego celebrates 50 years of history with a playoff run!

If I have the chance to take a NFL player to school, I would have a jam packed Ultimate Physical Education Class. All the kids could play in the Ultimate Physical Education Class because it is only fair that way. This way everyone could see how easy it is to PLAY 60.

We would spend most of the day outside. The NFL player would first spend some time talking to us. Hopefully, he would talk about how he stays active and fit. Then there would be some time for the kids to ask him some questions about how he accomplished his goal of playing professional sports.

After the talk it would be time to play. We would have to be in groups. The teachers should pick the groups so nobody gets left out. There would be stations set up. All of the stations would be football and activity oriented. The NFL player would run one of the stations so that all of the kids could have time and meet him as they rotate through the stations.

The NFL player would run a station depending upon his position or specialty. There would be an obstacle course with pylons to run through and pads to dive on as you make a catch. There would be targets to throw footballs at and uprights to kick field goals through.

When we finished all of the stations we would teach the NFL player a game. We would all play a game that my coach taught me a few years ago called “Sponge Tag” to cool off. It is just like tag, but the person who is “IT” has to chase people around with wet sponges. It is a fun way to cool off.

Hopefully for lunch we could have something else besides a school lunch. Maybe we could have lots of fruit and salad. I think the Ultimate Physical Education Class should help people understand that healthy food is good too.

I would love to take an NFL Player to my school for the day!

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Did you ever think about being a big star in sports, especially the NFL, when you grow up? Do you dream of having your named called out by Commissioner Goodell on the first day of the 2018 NFL Draft like I do? If you have thought about this, you should read on. I think staying in school is the best thing for college athletes today - and in the future. Why, you ask? Let me tell you.

The first reason is to earn a degree that will let you have a job when your playing career is over (if you even make it to the NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB or another professional league). Many careers in the NFL last less than 10 years. Injuries and new players coming into the league can make it rough on veterans who are trying to stick around. Bo Jackson and Robert Edwards are two players that were destined for "big time" careers, but had serious injuries that led to early retirement. Many others have been forced out because new players took their roster spots.

I've read that only 5.8% of football players in high school play in college and only 2.0% of those players make it to the NFL. Those are some small numbers. I think I would be better off staying in school.

If you stay in college for four years, earning your degree could help you out in the long run. When I went to the Super Bowl two years ago, I met a perfect example of this- Matt Leinart of the Arizona Cardinals. He won the Heisman, a National Championship and still decided to stick around to finish his college career.

That degree you earn, whether in law enforcement, architecture, or education could lead to a great job even if you don't make it to the NFL. You could be helping future generations make good choices with their lives with your work in law enforcement, education or whatever your degree is!

College can prepare you for many things: life on your own, a job, or a professional career. Make sure you look at all your options before jumping to the pros. If you do jump early, go back and get that degree! It will be worth it in the long run.

Going to the Super Bowl was an AWESOME time. But what has been even cooler, for almost the past year I have had the opportunity to write to everybody that checks out the NFLRush website. I have met new and interesting people who also believe that kids should stay active. I have talked to my friends and my family about why it is important for kids to be active. Kids at my school, my friends, kids at the YMCA and my sister’s school all ask me about how I stay active. This experience has even changed my own family, how my mom cooks and the activities we plan to do.

Even if you don’t get to go to the Super Bowl, you will still have lots of fun playing and staying healthy. You can Play 60 anywhere even in a driveway. If it is sunny put on some sunscreen and play. If it is rainy find a pair of old shoes and hit the yard. I hope every kid can see how easy it is to Play 60 and stay healthy. It does not matter where you Play 60 the whole NFL association wants you to Play 60!

Hi everyone! I am back with a new blog. I have been really busy getting ready for the start of school and a new soccer team. I participated in a NFL sponsored PUNT, PASS and KICK contest. It was in the Family First Sports Dome in Erie PA. This was the first time I ever did anything like that. I had a lot of fun even though I didn’t win. The Punt, Pass and Kick contest was sponsored by the Erie River Rats a indoor football team here in Erie, PA. There were a bunch of kids playing. There were River Rats players there helping the kids practice and do better. That was a great way to start the 2008-2009 football season. Get back on the web to see my next blog. GO CHARGERS!

On Friday, I went to watch the 2nd Annual Bob Sanders Skills and Drills Football camp. Bob Sanders is a strong safety for the Indianapolis Colts. He was the 2007 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He was born in Erie, PA, that is my hometown too. It is too bad I am only 10, because the camp was only open for high school students. But it was still fun. I have never been to anything like this before. It must have been a big deal because even a TV station from Indianapolis, Indiana came to cover the camp and interview Mr. Sanders.

The camp is 2 days. They were practicing offensive drills in the morning and then after the character building speaker they were going to do defensive drills. The next day they were going to work on special teams drills.

There were 300 high school football players invited to come to this camp. I got to watch players start to get ready for their football season. There were over 25 college and high school coaches and more than 100 other volunteer workers. I think that shows that people in Erie, PA really care about the kids. Bob Sanders said that this camp was important “to help kids find out who they are.” He said “Everything you do in life reflects who you are.” He also said it was important to be a good role model.

I got to participate in a press conference and spend some time talking to Bob Sanders. I asked him how he stays active. He said that being active is just a daily part of his life. He lifts weights. I also asked him who was the hardest person to tackle in the NFL? He said it was “Jerome Bettis, because he is big both ways”. He gestured tall and wide.

I pledge to stay active for at least 60 minutes every day. I love staying active. I love playing outside. Right now I have baseball practice three nights a week for almost two hours a practice. I like to be the catcher. I still swim at least once a week at our local YMCA. I am helping coach my sister’s soccer team and she has practice once a week and then a game too.

I play basketball and football with the kids in the neighborhood. I have gotten to go outside more at school, I`m going to a fieldtrip and we have to walk A LOT! We are going to walk on nature trails. I really like playing outside, I usually only play video games when the weather is bad and I can’t play outside.

I try to eat healthy foods. I like carrots and salads. My favorite fruit is a kiwi. It is kind of crunchy and sweet. My mom made us try Ugli fruit; it tasted like a sour orange. My favorite vegetables are red bell peppers. I like asparagus too.

I have been spending time with the Erie River Rats. This is an arena football team. http://www.erieriverrats.com/ They are a bunch of guys that have two jobs, they play football and they have a regular job. It has been fun going to these football games. It is a very fast game. There are only 8 people on the field playing plus the coach. The Offense can put two people in motion and not worry about being offside’s. The goal posts are only eight feet wide. That’s a lot skinnier than the NFL.

Activity Rocks!! Go out there and do it! It is easier than you think and way more fun than sitting around watching TV. Stay active! What are you going to pledge to do?

Hi everyone, its Jared here! I have been really busy since the last time I posted anything on the website. I had three days of baseball tryouts a few weeks ago. It is like the NFL Combine and the NFL Draft because the coaches look at you to see if they want to pick you in the draft for their team. You also have to do a bunch of different drills that the coaches think of, just like the NFL Combine. Some of the things I did were ground ball, fielding, pop-fly, batting and soft toss drills. My mom kept reminding me to do my best, have fun and to try to learn something new each time I went to a try-out.

I was really nervous. This was the first time that I was not an “automatic” pick because we didn’t know if my step-dad was going to coach this season. I went to all of the try-out days, even though you only had to go to 2 out of 3 to be in the draft. I just wanted to be sure. It felt sort of weird to be competing, in a way, with all of my friends I had made in the last four years that I played baseball. But we actually just had a lot of fun with everything, even on the really cold day that we played baseball in the snow, my feet were really soaked! It was frustrating not knowing which team I was going to play on. But I knew I had tried my best every day that I was on the field. I felt relieved when the coach called and told me which team I was going to be on. I know some of the kids on the team. My step-dad is going to coach, but it felt GREAT to know that I had earned my spot.

I loved watching the NFL draft. GO CHARGERS!!

Since I got back from the Super Bowl, I have done a lot of things. I still do all the stuff I did before I left. For example, I have been playing basketball, soccer, intramurals at school and helping coach my sister’s floor hockey team. I have still been sticking to the Play 60 Challenge pledge. I got to present the game ball at a Mercyhurst College men’s basketball game.

Tonight was a health fair at my school. There were a bunch of fitness stations like soccer, basketball, football, hockey, jump rope, bowling, bulldozers and builders. My mom had to reschedule my piano lesson for this week so I could go to the Health Fair. I hope Rich Eisen doesn’t find out because I promised him I wouldn’t give up on piano lessons like he did!

I took my friend, Nick to the health fair tonight. He didn’t really want to go, but once we got there he had a blast. I think he is starting to see that playing and being active is as much fun as playing video games. Do you have a friend that you can take away from video games for 60 minute a day? Try it and let me know what happens!

A few days ago it was our school’s Jump Rope for Heart participation day, sponsored by the American Heart Association. Everyone’s gym class got to do it. So I got to jump rope with my friends for fun in gym class. There were a lot of different ways you can jump rope- who knew?? What is your school doing to keep YOU fit! Please tell me what your school does or what fitness things it sponsors.

Talk to you soon,

Jared D.

Jared, our Play 60 sweepstakes winner, is back to answer some your questions. He has been getting tons of emails, letters and comments and now he's ready to talk.

What contest did you win that resulted in you being in a magazine and on TV?

I won the NFL Play 60 Challenge. The Play 60 Challenge is about getting outside, playing and having fun for at least 60 minutes a day. The NFL did this because of childhood obesity. Childhood obesity is a problem when kids are overweight at a young age. I was the first kid to win the Play 60 challenge. Staying active and being healthy is a big part of what I like. It was strange for me to have all of the questions about what I do. I think that any kid can do the stuff that I do. So it was weird to be noticed for doing my normal stuff. The interviews were hard but they got easier after a while. I had lots of fun. It was something that I will never forget.

How did you feel when you got picked to be on the field?

I was shocked and I did not think that I really had won. But it was not just about going on the field. The NFL took me places and I got to do different things with other kids. One day I went to a “Healthy Kids Breakfast” at an Elementary School. I got to tell other kids about staying active in my interviews. I was interviewed a bunch of times. You should go to the NFLRush.com website and read all about what I did.

Were you nervous when you got on the field? Was your heart pounding?

I was not very nervous, more excited. I felt very small any place I went in the stadium, especially when I was 10 feet away from Plax (Plaxico Burress).

What was it like to be on the field at Super Bowl XLII?

Great! The field smelled like grass because it was really grass from Alabama. Two weeks before the Super Bowl they trucked it to Arizona in refrigerated trucks.

How much fun was it to run out on the field and hand the game ball to the referee?

It was A LOT of FUN! I sort of felt like I do when I stop a winning goal in soccer, UNSTOPPABLE!

What was it like to hold the game ball?

Awesome! It is bigger than I thought. The ball that I held will go to the Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. My mom said we can go there this summer. It is not that far from Erie, Pennsylvania.

Was it fun playing with Arizona Quarterback Matt Leinart?

Yes it was a lot of fun. He was nice and helped me throw the football through a target. He played with a bunch of kids that day at the NFL Experience. I think he was having fun too!

What team did you root for in Super Bowl XLII?

I am a Chargers fan, but I rooted for the NY Giants during Super Bowl XLII because they were the underdogs and because my mom is a NE Patriots fan.

How did your mom feel about the Patriots losing?

She didn’t seem to care too much because she got to go to the Super Bowl. I think she might have been a litter happier if the Patriots won, though.

Did you meet any of the players?

I got to go into the New England Patriots locker room before they moved all their stuff in. I got to meet and shake the hands of many players. These are some of the people I met:

Matt Leinart- Arizona Cardinals Quarterback

Roger Goodell- NFL Commissioner

David Garrard- Jacksonville Jaguars Quarterback

Jerry Rice- Hall of Fame Wide Receiver

Mike Carey- Head Referee

Do you play football for fun?

Yes, but not for a league. I play indoor and outdoor soccer, I just finished a 6 week baseball clinic, I play basketball for a YMCA team, I am taking swimming lessons, I help coach my sister’s floor hockey team, I have piano lessons every week and I stay at school once a week with other 4th graders for intramurals.

Do you like sports?

Yes, I play lots of sports. Mostly I just like to play and have fun so playing sports is the best way to have fun for me.

My friends, Noah, Isiah and Leah came over today to watch the Pro Bowl and look at all my pictures from the trip. Their dad thought my picture with Jerry Rice was really cool! (He is a Raiders fan. The only one I know in Erie, PA.) I wish LT played in the game, it is too bad he is hurt. You better watch out next year cause he will be there!

I was happy the Chargers players did so well. Especially Antonio Cromartie with 2 interceptions. But where was Plax? I can't believe that there weren't more Giants players there, they did win the Super Bowl. Adrian Peterson did a great job (MVP). His teammate, Tony Richardson, played in the game, too. I met him at NFLX. It was fun to watch him play a game.

Then, we waited on the field until after the coin toss. I got my picture taken with Jerry Rice! The players were all REALLY big. Way bigger than on TV. After the coin toss, I ran the football out to the refs. I had my picture taken on the field and it was on the Jumbotron. Later, they introduced me to the entire stadium and everybody cheered for me and my accomplishments.

After the game, my friends and family were calling to tell me what a great job I had done. This will definitely be something I remember for the rest of my life. I am glad I could share it with my mom and grandfather.

Thanks,

Jared

I got to measure my hands, feet and legs with molds of famous players.  I still have a lot of growing to do.  I saw the Vince Lombardi trophy.  There were 4 security guards watching it.  I got my picture taken in front of an old picture of a Charger player in the Hall of Fame exhibits.  At the Hall of Fame exhibit, the middle was a rotating stage that you could stand on to see everything.

I can't wait until tomorrow! The Super Bowl is almost here!  I don't think I will ever forget this awesome experience.  Did you know that the University of Phoenix stadium's grass is actually from Alabama?  The grass can be rolled in and out of the stadium.

Thanks to everybody who is checking in and leaving me posts.  It is fun reading everybody's comments.

C-ya,

Jared

Today, we spent some time checking out Phoenix.  We went to the Phoenix Zoo.  It is a great zoo, especially for kids. We saw a lot of animals that are not at the Erie, PA zoo. There were cacti (cactus) and lots of trees I had never seen before. My favorite part of the zoo was the rope spider web I could climb.

After the zoo, we went back to the stadium. We had to go over what I was going to do for the Super Bowl.  A member of the NFL event staff helped me practice running on the field.  I had to pretend to be holding the football. He told me I couldn't drop the ball or trip.  I am going to sleep with the football until game day for good luck!

I am having so much fun.  Everybody from the NFL has been really nice. Tomorrow I get to go back to the NFL Experience.  Maybe I can get some football cards signed.

More tomorrow...  Jared