Pro Football Hall of Fame Canon U.S.A. Announce Grand Prize Winners of “Why Do You Love Football?” Photo Contest

Interactive Published on : 1/31/2011
Last Game Give a Full Effort for the Touchdown


For the past six seasons, Canon U.S.A., Inc. and the Pro Football Hall of Fame have asked contestants to answer the question, "Why Do You Love Football?" through photos of youth football. After reviewing more than 6,000 entries, the grand prize winners were announced.

Heidi Yowell, 45, of La Habra, Calif., was awarded the honor for the Adult Division and Michael Pronzato, 17, of Warrington, Penn., won the Teen Division. Yowell and Pronzato each has won a trip for four to attend Super Bowl XLV in North Texas along with a trip for four to the 2011 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival this summer. Plus, their winning photos will be displayed in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The grand prize winners were determined by a fan vote of 14 finalists in each division.

Yowell snapped a photo of her son and husband, titled "Last Game," after the last Pop Warner game of the season. Her son, a third-year linebacker, wore pink socks during the game to help promote breast cancer awareness.

Pronzato captured "Give a Full Effort for the Touchdown" at the Archbishop Wood vs. Haverford High School football game. He says there is a chance for a great picture every time Desmon Peoples (subject of the photo and Pronzato's friend) runs the ball. A junior at Archbishop Wood, Pronzato taught himself how to use a camera since his skateboarding friends needed a photographer, and he now takes photos for all sporting events at his school. An athlete himself, he hopes to play golf and major in photography in college.

The nationwide photo contest, from which one Grand Prize winner from each division was selected, allowed fans to enter their photos in two categories, "Action" and "Feature." The photo contest allowed football and photography fans the opportunity to capture the passion and excitement of youth football by submitting photos of everything from a playful game of catch in the backyard to any youth, school or organized football game.

The judging panel to determine the finalists in each division included former NFL quarterback Archie Manning along with some of the world's top sports photographers and photo editors including Peter Read Miller from Sports Illustrated; Jerry Pinkus the New York Giants Team Photographer; Ron Cortes of the Philadelphia Inquirer and; Brad Smith the New York Times Sports Photo Editor.