Pre-Super Bowl flag football showdown features war vets, former NFL players

Franciscan St. Francis Health co-sponsors Feb. 1 south side event

INDIANAPOLIS – The playing field at Indy Indoor Sports Park will become a field of honor with the Wounded Warrior Amputee Sports Team taking on the NFL Alumni of Indianapolis, Wednesday, Feb. 1.

The doors to the south side facility (6650 S. Bluff Road) open at 6 p.m. with kickoff slated for 7 p.m. Presented by Washington National Insurance Company and RBVetCo, the event also is co-sponsored by Franciscan St. Francis Sports Medicine.

The Wounded Warrior squad is made up of amputee veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Rocky Bleier, who was wounded during the Vietnam War but went on to play for the Super Bowl-winning Pittsburgh Steelers, and Jeff George, a former Indianapolis Colts quarterback, will lead the team, which is being coached by Maj. Gen. Martin Umbarger, adjutant of the Indiana National Guard, and Wounded Warriors founded David van Sleet.

The NFL team has a roster of current and former professional players, including Jack Youngblood, Bill Romanowski, Ken Dilger, Bill Brooks, Jerry Kramer and other former Colts and NFL stars. Their head coach is Dick Vermeil, who led the St. Louis Rams to the 1999 Super Bowl championship.

“This great event pays tribute to our service members who have sacrificed much in defense of our nation and we are proud to be a part of it,” said Robert J. Brody, president and CEO of Franciscan St. Francis Health. “The willingness of NFL veterans to participate demonstrates their appreciation and respect for those who have gone into harm’s way.”

Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, a retired Marine Corps officer and veteran of Operation Desert Storm, will officiate the game. And cheerleaders from the Indianapolis Colts and Southport High School will be on hand to cheer the players.

A $20 donation is requested for those attending the game. All proceeds will benefit Wounded Warriors Amputee Sport Team (WWAST) programs. There will be a free autograph session with the players following the game, including a raffle of NFL memorabilia and Indiana Pacers tickets.

To learn more about Wounded Warriors, go to https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/default.aspx?tsid=167. For more information about the game or to set up interviews with the participants, contact Chris Visser at 321-230-6666, or Marc Leonard at 413-885-7522.

Franciscan St. Francis Sports Medicine offers a variety of programs and services. Learn more at http://www.stfrancishospitals.org/Ortho/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=54.