Football fans kick off Hall of Fame Week in Canton with First Play
· Yahoo Sports
CANTON ‒ Cleveland Avenue NW was lined with dozens of jerseys, Hall of Famers and thoughts of the upcoming season as the Pro Football Hall of Fame kicked off the annual Play Football First Play on Aug. 5.
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The street filled with participants, families, members of the Pro Football's Ultimate Fan Association and legends like of Kevin Mawae and Robert Brazile.
Children sporting Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers merch lined up alongside fans of several NFL teams to pass the football along a three-mile route from the Frank T. Bow Building on 201 Second St. SW to the steps of the Hall of Fame.
Former Philadelphia Eagles cornerback and Hall of Famer Eric Allen started the event, passing the football down the line of hall of famers and fans to kick off the 2026 NFL season.
Maggie Stanley, 9, and Aiden Flickinger, 6, both had their own reasons to be excited about the event.
"It was really fun, I can't believe I got to touch the football that they're actually going to play with," Maggie said.
Aiden on the other hand isn't much of a football fan, but he was excited about his free Cardinals T-shirt.
Friends Miniyah Ragland, 15, and Nylia Shelton, 17, also got a chance to participate in the event thanks to a teacher bringing them out.
First Play participants all received a T-shirt, access to the KidsFest and other Pro Football Hall of Fame events.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Football fans kick off Hall of Fame Week in Canton with First Play