Senior Bowl players visit schools, hospitals

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - Senior Bowl players gave back to the community Thursday, January 24.

They visited more than 40 schools in Mobile and Baldwin Counties, as well as hospitals.

JOHNSON AND WILSON HEAD TO SCHOOL

Alabama Linebacker Nico Johnson and Arkansas Quarterback Tyler Wilson visited Old Shell Road Magnet School, giving students a lesson in agility and physical fitness.

The teachers wanted to give a football flavor to the dance routine, so they incorporated moves like end zone dances into the program.

When Wilson heard this, he said, "I'm nervous."

After the session, Johnson and Wilson answered questions from students and offered advice.

Wilson said, "There are eleven players on offense so I'm one-eleventh of the group."

He said accomplishing a goal requires team work and effort, and some things come easier than others.

"Well, the dance was harder for me, because I don't have any rhythm, but the workout was good too." Wilson said about his active day. 　

Johnson said he doesn’t plan on asking Head Coach Nick Saban to incorporate the moves into practice.

Johnson said, "Oh no, oh no. I'm not going to take it back to Coach because he doesn't like to dance. He's all about business. Around this time, I just let him be.”

NORTH, SOUTH PLAYERS HEAD TO THE HOSPITAL

Players from both the South and North squads visited patients there.

Curtis Stacy was one of the patients the players visited. His father said Curtis was fighting a bacterial infection. Brian Stacy commended the players for their community service.

"I appreciate that. It’s nice. I'm sure a lot of these kids are in bad shape," Brian said.

Mississippi State Defensive Lineman Josh Boyd was one of the football players visiting patients.

"I had a little cousin one time, who was born premature," he said. "(He) spent most of his life in the hospital, but he actually didn't make it. So just seeing kids come in, and they're doing good. We just like to give back. We just like to show everybody we appreciate everything."

Among the patients players gave inspiration to was Michael Daves, a Bayside Academy Football player fighting leukemia.

Daves said the advice they gave was, "Keep fighting. Football teaches you a lot about life. (It) teaches you things that you'll always use later down the road."

Another patient had something in common with the players that were visiting him.

Through his words, Cory Maloy showed what the football players get out of this visit.

Maloy said, "I played football last year, and I'm going to play again once I get my balance and everything back, my eyesight and stuff. I had a bad disease. It wasn't too bad, but it came back. I'm getting better each day."