Updates

The NFL will celebrate hundreds of youth and high school football players alongside the Pro Football Hall of Famers in Canton, Ohio, during Enshrinement Week. Youth will participate in several NFL Play Football activities, including the Hall of Fame's annual "First Play" and the Play Football Skills Camp.

FIRST PLAY

The Pro Football Hall of Fame and the NFL will kick off festivities with the annual "First Play" on Wednesday, Aug. 1. Nearly 3,000 children will pass a football along a three-mile route from downtown Canton, where the NFL was founded in 1920, to the front steps of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The NFL Don Shula High School Coach of the Year, Robert Garrett of Crenshaw High School, and members of the 2018 NFL Play Football Coaches Council will receive the final football on the steps of the Hall of Fame. Joining them will be David Baker, Pro Football Hall of Fame President & CEO, and Roman Oben, NFL Vice President of Youth and High School football.

YOUTH FOOTBALL SKILLS CAMP

The Pro Football Hall of Fame and NFL will host nearly 300 kids at a Play Football Skills Camp on Wednesday, Aug. 1, at Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village's National Youth Football & Youth Sports Complex. Hall of Famers Mel Blount, Tim Brown, Eric Dickerson, Marshall Faulk, John Randle and Will Shields will take the field to assist and encourage camp participants. Afterwards, they will host a panel discussion on the values of the game.

PLAY FOOTBALL COACHES COUNCIL

Members of the 2018 NFL Play Football Coaches Council will participate in a variety of events during Enshrinement Week. Events include a tour of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, an introduction to the Hall's A Game For Life curriculum and a meet and greet with Baker.

The Council is composed of NFL Club Coach of the Year winners. It offers the coaches an opportunity to attend Enshrinement Week events and professional development sessions where they can share their expertise with other coaches.

HALL OF FAME GAME

The 2018 NFL preseason kicks off on Thursday, Aug. 2, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium with a matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Chicago Bears.

Robert Garrett, the Don Shula Coach of the Year, and members of the NFL Play Football Coaches Council will be honored on-field and will deliver the symbolic game ball to mark the start of the 2018 NFL season and Play Football Month.

NFL AND BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF AMERICA PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT

The NFL and Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) are teaming to increase flag football participation and access to the sport across the country. The partnership will provide opportunities for thousands of kids nationwide to participate in NFL FLAG powered by USA Football using grants, resources and training to launch and sustain new leagues in BGCA locations.

PLAY FOOTBALL SUMMER SEASON CLINIC

The NFL and the Pro Football Hall of Fame will host a Play Football Summer Season Clinic at the Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village's National Football & Youth Football Sports Complex on Friday, Aug. 3. More than 200 kids will learn the game of flag football from USA Football-certified coaches and members of the Coaches Council. NFL Legends and members of the American Flag Football League will also join the young athletes on the field.

The clinic focuses on teaching the importance of teamwork, sportsmanship, and positive values across all ages and skill levels.

For more information, visit the Play Football site, or join the conversation using #LetsPlayFootball.