Patrick Chung, Jabaal Sheard and Markus Kuhn showed off their best playground tricks. From hula hoops to jump ropes, the Patriots kept moving as part of a Play 60 After School Kick Off event at Slater Park in Pawtucket, R.I.
Play 60 After School Kick Off awarded the Pawtucket parks and recreation department with a $7,500 grant, which will be used to help pay for an AstroTurf field at the Max Read Field. The field will be home to the city's youth sports.
Wednesday marked a celebration of this grant, as well as encouraging the 60 students on hand to get outside for at least an hour a day and to eat right. Patrick, Jabaal and Markus led the students in stretches and activity stations.
While the guys can move on the gridiron, both Jabaal and Patrick said they needed to get back in hula hoop and jump rope form respectively.
"Obviously my jump roping skills are not up to par," Patrick said. "I've got to start practicing that."
With the activities, the players, along with the New England Dairy Council, were able to stress the importance of a healthy and active lifestyle.
"It's easy just to get distracted by video games and a bunch of nonsense, so go outside and do something constructive, something that's going to push your limit a little bit so you can get better in life," Patrick said to the group. "You know, if you start now at a young age, as you get older the sky's the limit for you to be successful. So stay out of trouble, please. Listen to your parents. Eat right and have fun. You guys will be fine."
For Jabaal, the chance to provide kids with a positive influence is one he values.
"From Cleveland to Pittsburgh to where I grew up, kids look up to you as role models. If you could be a positive role model in their life and show them the importance of coming outside for 60 minutes a day, why not go out there and do it? That's always been big to me," Jabaal said. "I looked up to football players as a kid so the fact that I'm a football player now and I'm able to do that, I mean, I always want to be a part of it."
Check out photos from the event in the gallery below.
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Patriots DE Jabaal Sheard, S Patrick Chung and DL Markus Kuhn were at Slater Park in Pawtucket on Wednesday for an NFL Play 60 event. The players taught kids from local schools the importance of exercise and presented the city of Pawtucket with a $7,500 grant.
Oct. 8, 1978. Patriots 24, Eagles 14After losing their first meeting with the Eagles by a single point in 1973, the Patriots posted back-to-back wins in successive years in 1977 and 1978. In the latter win, Sam Cunningham rushed for a game-high 76 yards and a touchdown and Stanley Morgan caught three passes for 104 yards and a score.
Nov. 29, 1987. Eagles 34, Patriots 31New England rallied from a 31-17 fourth-quarter deficit, as QB Tom Ramsey threw a three-yard TD pass to Willie Scott, then scored on a one-yard sneak to force overtime. But Paul McFadden's 38-yard field goal in the extra session gave the Eagles the win. Ramsey finished with 402 yards, 100 of which went to Tony Collins, who caught 11 passes.
Aug. 17, 2002. Patriots 16, Eagles 15In the inaugural game at Gillette Stadium – albeit a preseason game – the Patriots prevailed in dramatic fashion. A.J. Feely tossed an eight-yard TD pass to Sean Morey with just under two minutes to play to draw the Eagles within one, but his two-point pass attempt failed. Philadelphia recovered the ensuing onside kick but a strip sack by Radell Lockhart sealed the win. Adam Vinateri kicked three field goals and Kevin Faulk scored the Pats' lone touchdown. Tom Brady was intercepted twice.
Sept. 14, 2003. Patriots 31, Eagles 10The Patriots snapped a five-game losing streak in the series and won for the first time in Philadelphia in franchise history. Tom Brady threw two, short-yardage touchdown passes to Christian Fauria in the first half, and the Patriots intercepted Eagles' QB Donovan McNabb twice. Tedy Bruschi had one of those interceptions and returned it 18 yards for a score that helped put the game away with five minutes remaining.
Feb. 6, 2005. Patriots 24, Eagles 21. Super Bowl XXXIXThe Patriots captured their third Super Bowl title in four years in their first and only playoff game against the Eagles. Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch caught 11 passes for 133 yards. Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes, including one to Mike Vrabel, and Rodney Harrison had two of the Patriots' three interceptions, none bigger than when he snagged Donovan McNabb pass at Philly's 28-yard line in the waning seconds.
