Opening Kickoff February is a month of celebrations. We celebrate love for others on Valentine’s Day and celebrate the many accomplishments from the Black community as part of Black History Month. One of college football’s most memorable moments came when Boise State’s Ian Johnson proposed to his girlfriend after the running back scored on the famous Statue of Liberty play to seal Boise State’s upset win over Oklahoma. The Fiesta Bowl is proud to be a leader and be a “Bowl of Firsts.” We are honored to have the first Black president of a Bowl game when Dr. Morrison Warren presided in 1982, also our first time playing the Bowl on January 1. His son Kevin became a Fiesta
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Bowl Board member 20 years later and in 2020 was the first Black individual to be Commissioner of a Power 5 college athletics conference, when he was hired by the Big Ten Conference. In the same decade as Dr. Warren’s historic achievement, the Fiesta Bowl hosted the 1989 National Championship between Notre Dame and West Virginia. On top of its high stakes, it was the first time that two Black quarterbacks played one another for the National Title. The Irish’s Tony Rice (who went on to be Offensive MVP) led No. 1 Notre Dame and Major Harris was the starting quarterback for the Mountaineers. Our efforts to help create historic change come through in several forms – scholarships, mentoring, grant funding and programs. You are an important part of the Fiesta Bowl family, and we thank you for your partnership in assisting us serve our community across the board. We are Fiesta!
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NEWS & NOTES From Fiesta Bowl to Super Bowl The Cincinnati Bengals’ improbable run to the Super Bowl has been fueled by the Bayou Bengals of quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. If those names sound familiar to PlayStation Fiesta Bowl fans, they should. That duo also propelled LSU to the 2019 PlayStation Fiesta Bowl win over UCF, with Burrow recording 394 passing yards and 4 TDs en route to Offensive Player of the Game honors, while Chase tallied six catches for 93 yards and a 32-yard TD from Burrow. They are two of 17 Fiesta Bowl alumni who will take the field for Super Bowl LVI: 10 total for the Bengals (including seven starters) and seven players on the L.A. Rams roster. A year ago, LSU teammate Devin White and former Washington defensive tackle Vita Vea were members of the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. RAMS (7)
BENGALS (10)
Landen Akers, WR (Iowa State)
Eli Apple, CB (Ohio State) Jan 2016 Defensive MVP
Tremayne Anchrum, OL (Clemson) Dont’e Deayon, CB (Boise State)
Vonn Bell, S (Ohio State)
Greg Gaines, DL (Washington)
Joe Burrow, QB (LSU) Jan 2019 Offensive MVP
Grant Haley, DB (Penn State)
Jackson Carman, OL (Clemson)
Taylor Rapp, S (Washington)
La’Marr Chase, WR (LSU)
Coleman Shelton, OL (Washington)
Tee Higgins, WR (Clemson) Sam Hubbard, DE (Ohio State) Isaiah Prince, OL (Ohio State) Drew Sample, TE (Washington) Tyler Shelvin, DT (LSU)
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Black History Made at Fiesta Bowl The Fiesta Bowl is known for its historical moments over the course of its history, including Dr. Morrison Warren becoming the first-ever Black president of a Bowl Season organization. On the field, the 1989 National Championship at the Fiesta Bowl was the first time in college football history that both starting quarterbacks were Black. Notre Dame’s Tony Rice had the best passing game of his career in leading Notre Dame to the title over West Virginia, who was led by Major Harris. We spoke with the quarterbacks to hear from them about their place in college football history. READ MORE
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NEWS & NOTES DELIVERING APPLES TO THE TEACHERS The thank you for our teachers does not end. The Fiesta Bowl Organization will host a series of Appreciation events for our unsung heroes at Main Event Tempe. Recipients of Desert Financial Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers grants will be treated to a day of play and honor. In 2021-22, 400 teachers applied for and received a $2,500 award for their classrooms, for a total of $1 million in funding. Over the six years of the program, nearly $5 million has been distributed to more than 1,200 teachers, impacting more than 500,000 children across the state of Arizona.
LET’S BUILD A PLAYGROUND Children at Camp Verde Elementary in Camp Verde, Arizona, will soon have a brand-new state-of-the-art play space. Volunteers from Fiesta Bowl Charities, the Salt River Project and KABOOM! will come together to build the 2,000 square-foot playground from the ground up on February 25. In December, children from the school shared drawings of their dream play space. Their dreams become reality as the new playground integrates those ideas for a unique one-of-a-kind build, the 11th playground across the state constructed by Fiesta Bowl Charities and KABOOM! Back in October, Fiesta Bowl Charities, SRP and KABOOM! constructed a playground in Mesa at the A New Leaf to serve the organization’s after school program. VOLUNTEER HERE
PG 4
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better to give than receive At the heart of the Fiesta Bowl Organization is a simple mission: to enhance organizations that contribute to the success of their communities through youth, sports and education. Through its two annual bowl games in the Valley, the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl and the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, as well as community events throughout the year, Fiesta Bowl Charities has selected 51 Arizona nonprofits through its 2021-22 Grant Cycle. Over 575,000 Arizonans will be impacted by the Fiesta Bowl Charities Grant Recipients!
2021-22 Projected Numbers 406,941 youth impacted 258,610 benefiting from sports programming 346,945 benefiting from educational programming 6,180 books distributed 20,000 pounds of fresh produce provided
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VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT First Year as Volunteer: 2010 First Year as Yellow Jacket Committee Member: 2011 Favorite Fiesta Bowl Game: The 2002 BCS National Championship Game, the Miami Hurricanes were returning National Champions and heavy favorites coming off a 23-game win streak. My Ohio State Buckeyes prevailed in a double overtime thriller beating the Canes for OSU’s first National title in over 32 years. What a day at Sun Devil Stadium!
Antone White Managing Director Chase, Carson and White, LLC
Favorite Fiesta Bowl Moment: As an Ohio State alumnus, I was able to meet OSU President Michael Drake, Athletic Director Gene Smith and President of our Alumni Association/Former College Football great Archie Griffin all in the same day during the 2016 CFP Playoff Semifinal week. Why I Serve the Fiesta Bowl: As a kid growing up in Dayton, Ohio, I have always been a college football fan. The Fiesta Bowl Committee gives me the opportunity to be a part of college football while also giving back to our local community through the many charitable events we support every year. Favorite Job: Media Ops & Team Liaison. I have been a part of Media Ops since joining the Fiesta Bowl. It has been a great experience interacting with national media for press conferences, media days and gameday field patrol. This is my first year as a team liaison and you become an active member of the program you’re assigned too, assisting the football staff with operations leading up to gameday! Interesting fact: I attended the University of Hawaii for my first two years of college.
PG 6
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NEWSWORTHY
Gamechangers: Fiesta Bowl Volunteers SO SCOTTSDALE
Ahwatukee Resident Scores Touchdown for Community Through Fiesta Bowl AHWATUKEE CITY LIFESTYLE
Sixteen local teachers win Fiesta Bowl grants MOHAVE DAILY NEWS
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TEMPE NATIVE DRIVEN TO MAKE POSITIVE IMPACT THROUGH FIESTA BOWL WORK WRANGLER NEWS
A Conversation with the Fiesta Bowl
IHEART RADIO
Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy touts Fiesta Bowl comeback as biggest win in school history ESPN.COM
PG 7
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