Big 33 Football Classic
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The Big 33 Football Classic is an all-star American football game featuring the top high school football players in Pennsylvania. Played since 1957, the game is often described as the "Super Bowl of High School Football." The last 14 contests have pitted players from Pennsylvania against players from Ohio, but opponents in the past have also included players from Maryland and Texas. Recent games have been held at Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
While the game was originally played with the best 33 players in each state (hence its name), the organizers added a 34th player to give kickers a chance to be separate of the 33 count as to give one more non-kicker a chance to be named to the Big 33. Thus, there are 34 players from each state who are invited to play in this game on the original roster. If there players that are selected are unable to play, the staff of the team and the Big 33 will select other players to fill their places on the roster.
The game has served as a springboard for many prominent college and professional football players. Big 33 alumni include: Ricky Watters, Tony Dorsett, Matt Millen, Joe Montana, Joe Namath, John Cappelletti, Dan Marino, and Jim Kelly. Current NFL players include: Kerry Collins, LeCharles Bentley, Kyle Brady, Orlando Pace, Marvin Harrison, LaVar Arrington, Ty Law, Larry Johnson, Ben Roethlisberger, Kenny Watson, Dan Mozes, and Curtis Martin. Current and former football coaches who have participated in the game include Dave Wannstedt and Barry Alvarez. There has been at least one Big 33 alumnus in every Super Bowl.[1]
A wide variety of activities take place on the weekend of the game, typically in June or July. These activities include cheerleading exhibitions, scholarship presentations, youth clinics, and visits by the players to local hospitals, the Boys & Girls Club and other charities. Over $2 million in academic scholarships have been awarded as a result of the game and its sponsors. Each team has their own host families who host a player. The Ohio players arrive in Hershey and meet their host families Friday night (one week and a day before the game) and the Pennsylvania players arrive in Hershey and meet their host families on Saturday at the kickoff picnic that includes the host families, and cheerleaders. The week is filled with life changing experiences and bonds that are tough to be broken. The players visit hospitals and receive a "Buddy". Many of the players keep ties with their host families while in college and throughout their careers and the event is a very family-like event.
In 2006 the game was moved from mid-late July to mid-late June due to the NCAA rule changes that made some coaches prohibit many players from these teams from playing in the game due to the closeness of the upcoming summer practices.
Former Massillon Tiger Great Willie Spencer Jr also played in the 1995 Big 33 Classic were he had a memorable game and later after transferring from the University of Akron in 1998 to Tiffin University he played with the Washington Redskins in 2001 and the Chicago Bears in 2002 and 2003 2009 Game The 2009 Game featured an Ohio team that threw the ball around led by Ada High School's Mike Fell, winning 38-31.
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