Tulane Green Wave Gives Back to Community in Important Super Bowl Event
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The Tulane Green Wave has been at the center of activities in the city ahead of Super Bowl LIX.
After hosting the Kansas City Chiefs at Yulman Stadium and honoring Terry Bradshaw for the 50th anniversary of his Super Bowl win, several Tulane football players participated in an important local community event that is held every Super Bowl weekend in the host city.
The 10th annual Super Fest Football and Cheer camp was held at John Curtis Christian High School on Feb. 8, and the football and cheer team played a critical role in the event.
It’s an inclusive event for people of all ages and all abilities, with and without disabilities, organized by the Matthew Foundation (TMFI). TMFI is a non-profit that is focused on improving the lives of those with Down syndrome and developmental disabilities.
Super Fest began in 2016 when Super Bowl 50 was held in San Francisco and has provided an invaluable experience for many youth and young adults in a safe, inclusive, and meaningful way.
The event and corresponding coverage have generated considerable awareness about the importance of acceptance and inclusion of people of all abilities. ESPN will air a segment on its Super Bowl Sunday NFL coverage and was at the event on Saturday.
Two notable NFL affiliates provided opening remarks to kick off the exciting event: Kevin Guidry and Collette V. Smith.
Kevin Guidry serves on the NFL Alumni Board of Directors and spent eight years in professional football after playing college football for the LSU Tigers.
Collette Smith is the first African American female coach in the NFL, the first female coach of the New York Jets, and just the third in NFL history. Smith coached defensive backs for the Jets. She now is the founder of Believe N You, Incorporated.
Several Green Wave football players and cheerleaders spent their Saturday mornings giving back to the community and helping put on an inclusive event for people of all abilities.
The football players helped conduct individual drills, throwing back and forth with the kids and teaching them how to catch, punt, and more. Those who signed up for cheer learned a routine that they performed throughout the eventual touch football scrimmage after the drill periods.
There was even a small sideline reporter group that spent the day alongside me as emcee of the event, providing an outlet for all sports-related interests for those in attendance.
Community outreach is a strong trait of Tulane football, working with multiple local non-profits including Son of a Saint.
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Maddy Hudak is the deputy editor for Tulane on Sports Illustrated and the radio sideline reporter for their football team. Maddy is an alumnus of Tulane University, and graduated in 2016 with a degree in psychology. She went on to obtain a Master of Legal Studies while working as a research coordinator at the VA Hospital, and in jury consulting. During this time, Maddy began covering the New Orleans Saints with SB Nation, and USA Today. She moved to New Orleans in 2021 to pursue a career in sports and became Tulane's sideline reporter that season. She enters her fourth year with the team now covering the program on Sports Illustrated, and will use insights from features and interviews in the live radio broadcast. You can follow her on X at @MaddyHudak_94, or if you have any questions or comments, she can be reached via email at maddy.hudak1@gmail.com