We teamed up once again with our good friend Jon Gruden, ESPN Monday Night Football Analyst (and long-time PDQ Tender Lover) last Friday. This time around, we had the honor of dropping by MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa to give back to our servicemen and women.
Our PDQ team and Super Bowl winning head coach Gruden joined forces to bring a morning of football and good food to our military. Back in 2008, Gruden founded the Fired Football Coaches Association (FFCA) and he has spent the last nine years giving back to the game of football in various ways. Servicemen were selected to participate in this event, many of which have a background in football.
The day began with a meeting to install plays and assign players to certain positions, with many service members reliving their high school or college days. The service members then moved out to the football field, where Gruden conducted a full practice with a walk-through, individual work, running plays and even two-minute drills.
“I’m emotional when it comes to what these guys are giving us - the sacrifice and all the effort that they put in behind the scenes." said Gruden. "We just wanted to show our appreciation from Monday Night Football.”
Champion Athleticwear provided t-shirts and hats to the players while Gruden selected several top performers and gave them autographed PDQ footballs. He was blown away by the talent of the service members.
“It just goes to show you how these guys can listen, concentrate, and go out there and perform under pressure with all of these cameras," said Gruden. "I’m really impressed.”
Following practice, Gruden surprised every player with a $100 Visa gift card as a token of his appreciation for what they do for our country. Lastly, all of the service members and their friends and family enjoyed a delicious lunch provided by PDQ.
Gruden was happy to share a few hours at MacDill Air Force Base, while the players were beyond excited for the once-in-a-lifetime chance to be coached by Jon Gruden. We’re not sure who enjoyed this event more, but we sure are happy to have been included in the opportunity to serve our military.