Canespace: Super Bowls, Super Players and Super Heroes

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Over in Tampa, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, uh, I mean Super Bowl week.

Yesterday, in a small community park near the Ybor City exit off of I-4 in the 813 and far from the celebrities and fancy parties associated with the Super Bowl, several NFL players got together to improve the community. There is no doubt that for several fortunate children and families, who like many of us will not be able to purchase the high priced tickets to get into Raymond James Stadium on Super Bowl Sunday, their Christmas, I mean Super Bowl, happened today in Tampa.

While the Super Bowl is typically all about the bright lights and big plays on the world's biggest stage, I managed to find some super (NFL) players who will play absolutely no role in the outcome of Sunday's game but instead decided to play the role of super heroes to some under-privileged kids in an impoverished East Tampa neighborhood.

Just ask Mike Furrey of the Detroit Lions (seen here carrying logs) who, when interviewed by a local news reporter and asked this question: "Hey, your into it, getting all sweaty and dirty?" responded by brushing off his shirt and saying:

"I LOVE this stuff. I love getting involved and building things and contributing to kids who want to make something out of their lives. We may come from different backgrounds, but we all need an opportunity to be successful. If I can contibute to that then that's great. To tell you the truth, there is no place else I would rather be!"

During the regular season, The Home Depot built 17 playgrounds, one for each week of the regular season, in each MVP’s local market and made donations to the charities of their choice.

Each player worked alongside representatives from KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit, local community partners and volunteers from The Home Depot to complete the building projects in just one day. Throughout this process, more than 2,600 The Home Depot associates donated more than 21,000 hours of service.

The players honored as part of The Home Depot NFL Neighborhood MVP program in 2008-2009 included Steve Smith* from the Carolina Panthers (seen here being the hammer, not the nail); Keith Brooking*, Atlanta Falcons; Vernon Carey, Miami Dolphins; Nate Clements, San Francisco 49ers; Brian Dawkins*, Philadelphia Eagles; Braylon Edwards, Cleveland Browns; Bobby Engram, Seattle Seahawks; Mike Furrey*, Detroit Lions; Chad Greenway, Minnesota Vikings; Andre Johnson*, Houston Texans; Kassim Osgood, San Diego Chargers; Samari Rolle, Baltimore Ravens; Charles Tillman, Chicago Bears; Amani Toomer*, New York Giants; Kurt Warner*, Arizona Cardinals; and Ty Warren, New England Patriots.

The Home Depot, whose slogan is "U can do it, We can help", is the sponsor of the NFL Neighborhood MVP Award. This award recognizes NFL players who make major contributions to their communities through their own efforts and foundations and/or by supporting or contributing to local charitable organizations.

Among the 16 players nominated for this presitgious honor this year were two former University of Miami players: OL Vernon Carey and WR Andre Johnson (seen above throwing up "The U" for Canespace).

As a result of his significant contributions in both Miami and Houston, Johnson was selected as one of the eight finalists along with the Cardinals' Kurt Warner, Keith Brooking of the Falcons, Carolina's Steve Smith, the Eagles's Brian Dawkins, Cleveland's Braylon Edwards, the Giants' Amante Toomer and the Cowboys' Jason Witten who won the 2008 award and is pictured above with NFL and Home Depot officials holding a $25,000 check to his charitable foundation.

Johnson, who along with Ken Dorsey and Clinton Portis led the Hurricanes to the 2001 national championship, was a very humble and gracious interview.

He is a truly grounded, down to earth and pleasent person to be around. His calm, sincere demeanor and direct eye contact let's U know that he means what he says and says what he means.

Watching him operate a power drill and assemble playground benches for kids in Tampa may not be as exciting to some fans as watching him catch TD passes for the Houston Texans, but to me it was worth every bit as much.

In a few more days we will have the complete Andre Johnson interview. Until then let it be known that AJ is a true Miami Hurricane and a fan of Canespace. Trust me when we get to the interview U will learn to appreciate Andre Johnson as a Miami Hurricane, and maybe even more importantly as a person, in an all new way.

There are a bunch of kids in East Tampa who already feel that way...