ITEM ONE:

JAGUARS & TEAM OWNERS MAKE IMPACT ON JACKSONVILLE COMMUNITY

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be in the national spotlight next week when they host the Green Bay Packers on ABC’s NFL Monday Night Football (12/3).  However, Jaguars owners WAYNE and DELORES WEAVER have been quietly active behind the scenes in contributing to the quality of life in the Jacksonville area.  Wayne, the majority owner, and Delores, chairperson and CEO of the Jaguars Foundation, have made two sizeable contributions to collegiate activities this year.  In August, the Weaver Family Foundation donated $650,000 to help restart the football program of Jacksonville’s Edward Waters College, which resumed the sport after 34 years.  Last month, the Weaver Family Foundation contributed $1 million to the “Pathways for Success” academic scholarship program of Jacksonville’s University of North Florida.  The grant will be matched by the state of Florida for a total of $2 million.  “Pathways for Success” is a need-based aid program that serves 100 students.   

ITEM TWO:

HOUSTON: DOUBLE-DOSE OF NFL FOOTBALL COMING UP

The NFL will make two debuts in Houston, Texas next year.  The league’s 32nd team, the Houston Texans, will take the field in a realigned NFL.  And Houston’s middle schools will adopt the NFL’s fast-growing Junior Player Development Program (JPD) in 2002 to help teach their students the game.  The national program, in its third year, teaches tackle football to 12- and 14-year olds through eight weeks of on-field practice and instruction in the spring and summer.  School boards of other cities have approached the NFL about adding the program.  JPD is now in place at 17 sites in nine cities.  Those numbers are expected to nearly double to 30 sites in 18 cities next year.  As part of Houston’s program, the young players will wear an NFL JPD/Houston Texans patch on their uniforms.       

ITEM THREE:

FOOTBALL PROVIDES RELIEF AT FORT BRAGG

Friday-night football was always welcomed in Fayetteville, North Carolina.  It’s just that after September 11, it is even more so.  The 1,100-student body at Fayetteville’s E.E. Smith High School includes many teenagers of families stationed at nearby Fort Bragg.  A dozen play on the Golden Bulls football team.  The Friday-night games at D.T. Carter Stadium provided Fort Bragg families with three hours of respite this fall from the fears that some of their men could be shipped overseas to help in the fight against terrorism.  “With everything else that’s going on, I get three hours” to watch her son TREY, a defensive tackle, play and escape thoughts of war, said RUTHANN JOHNSON, whose husband is away at training.  “Once it’s over, we get back to reality.”