Former NFL linebacker Dhani Jones knew the best way to introduce the donation the Cardinals and the NFL were about to give.
"It's a big check," Jones said. "A big check is a big deal," a line that was much to the delight of the students in attendance from Desert Sands Middle School in Phoenix.
For Super Bowl week, the league hosted The Character Playbook Speaker Series, a panel -- including former Cardinals running back Michael Pittman Sr. -- that talked about the connections between mental and physical wellness, an important topic for kids just reaching their teen years.
Jones was the MC for the talk that was beamed into interested classrooms across the nation. But for the students of Desert Sands, they also got the big check -- $100,000 from the Cardinals and the NFL's Foundation Grassroots Program and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation to install a natural grass football field at the school.
The money is part of a $3.8 million allocated for field refurbishments doled out over the past 12 months.
The Cardinals' Nicole Bidwill was on hand to lead the presentation.
"Thank you for letting the Cardinals be involved," Bidwill said. "We hope that you feel our love for you. This isn't just about a football field at your school, or a sports field. This is about the game of life, which is what today is about.
"We want you to use this field and always remember how much we care about you."
The Arizona Cardinals grant Desert Sands Middle School a grass football field in partnership with the NFL Foundation Grassroots Program
The new grass football field grant presentation at Desert Sands Middle School on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023 in Phoenix, AZ.
The new grass football field grant presentation at Desert Sands Middle School on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023 in Phoenix, AZ.
The new grass football field grant presentation at Desert Sands Middle School on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023 in Phoenix, AZ.
The new grass football field grant presentation at Desert Sands Middle School on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023 in Phoenix, AZ.
The new grass football field grant presentation at Desert Sands Middle School on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023 in Phoenix, AZ.
The new grass football field grant presentation at Desert Sands Middle School on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023 in Phoenix, AZ.
The new grass football field grant presentation at Desert Sands Middle School on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023 in Phoenix, AZ.
The new grass football field grant presentation at Desert Sands Middle School on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023 in Phoenix, AZ.
The new grass football field grant presentation at Desert Sands Middle School on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023 in Phoenix, AZ.
The new grass football field grant presentation at Desert Sands Middle School on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023 in Phoenix, AZ.
The new grass football field grant presentation at Desert Sands Middle School on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023 in Phoenix, AZ.
The new grass football field grant presentation at Desert Sands Middle School on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023 in Phoenix, AZ.
