06/14/2010
It was a day full of football, fathers and fun as more than 500 guests joined Hall of Famer at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Field at Fawcett Stadium for the Day Out With Dad event on Saturday.
The participants enjoyed 13 football-related drills, ranging from relay races to end zone dances competitions and also had the chance to meet McDaniel. Individuals, who came from 11 different states, also took time to tour the Hall of Fame.
Day Out With Dad allowed McDaniel, a standout guard who played 14 seasons in the National Football League with the Minnesota Vikings (1988-1999) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2000-01), to reminisce about his own memories with his dad and what he learned from him.
"I remember when I was a kid, my dad would play catch with me with a baseball," McDaniel said. "He'd throw the ball up real far in the sky and I'd have to catch it. When I got to Little League, none of the other kids would catch a pop-up fly. I didn't realize until later on that my dad was teaching me to do something without me even knowing it."
Jerseys, shoulder pads and helmets were donated for one-time use by the Cleveland Browns which gave dads and their children an opportunity to wear the gear and take a snapshot.
The community got involved as members of McKinley High School and Louisville High School's football team worked each station. Chick-fil-A provided lunch for the event.
Local media also took part in the fun-filled day as Mix 94.1 gave away a Wii game system as a contest prize.
One particular participant was overjoyed to be a part of Day Out With Dad.
"Another beautiful event," he said "Thank you, Mr. McDaniel, for giving these kids, and even the fathers, a thrill of a lifetime."
Day Out With Dad was sponsored by the Akron Beacon Journal and Ohio.com, Chick-fil-A, Hall of Fame Fitness Center, and WHBC Mix 94.1.
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