Steelers running back Najee Harris teams with Kellogg's to help young athletes get in the game

Najee Harris was “GRRREAT” on Thursday.

The Steelers star running back teamed with Tony the Tiger, mascot for Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes cereal, for Mission Tiger at Pittsburgh Public Greenfield Elementary School.

Students thought they were going outside just for a pep rally. Once on the field, they cheered and waved pompoms when they were introduced to Harris and Tony the Tiger.

“Sports helped me learn teamwork and build my confidence,” Harris said to the seventh and eighth graders. “I love being on the field morning, noon and night, and I bet you do, too.”

He then shared with them they would be getting new uniforms for their flag football team and other sports and equipment. For the next hour, Harris and the Tiger tossed footballs with the students, worked on footwork skills — all while smiling and laughing.

Kristina Serafini | Tribune-Review

Seventh and eighth grade students at Pittsburgh Greenfield cheer for Tony the Tiger as the Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes mascot and Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris surprised the school with a Mission Tiger donation Thursday, April 21 . Harris and Tony the Tiger delivered new flag football equipment and uniforms through the Mission Tiger program, which aims to help one million children gain better access to sports.

The partnership between Harris and the Frosted Flakes mascot represents a donation of a total of $44,000 available to the Greenfield Gators and 21 middle schools in the Pittsburgh Public School.

The money will reach 38,000 students through athletics.

The program began in 2019 and has impacted 1 million children, according to Mission Tiger. It began because youth sports play a vital role in keeping kids active and developing, but athletic opportunities have been cut or scaled back because of loss of funding — especially during the pandemic.

The organizers said it has been proven that sports help young students, on and off the field, by improving cognitive skills, building self-esteem, teaching leadership and goal-setting skills.

Kristina Serafini | Tribune-Review

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris leads a football drill with seventh and eighth grade students at Pittsburgh Greenfield during a Mission Tiger donation event at the school Thursday, April 21 . Harris and cereal mascot Tony the Tiger mascot delivered new flag football equipment and uniforms through the Mission Tiger program, which aims to help one million children gain better access to sports.

Harris said doing something in his home city is important.

He even brought his own whistle, interacted with the students and signed a few autographs.

“This is fabulous,” said Karen Arnold, director of interscholastic athletics for Pittsburgh Public Schools.

Ryan Versfeld, senior brand manager, for Kellogg U.S.’s ready-to-eat cereal segment, said over the past two years many middle school sports programs got cut short. He said access to sports keeps kids in the game.

“We’re thrilled to be in Pittsburgh today to celebrate reaching this huge goal with our teammate, Najee Harris, and deliver another Mission Tiger donation — this time to the kids and coaches at Pittsburgh Public Schools,” Versfeld said.

Some of the funds from this initiative have been spent on improvements such as repaving courts, refurbishing sports facilities and providing equipment as well as the purchase of new uniforms.

According to a survey of middle school educators through the nonprofit DonorsChoose, 6 in 10 feel that their middle school athletic programs are barely funded or underfunded. DonorsChoose works with public school teachers for classroom resources.

Save your cereal receipt

Kellogg is donating $2 per purchase to DonorsChoose with an upload of a Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes receipt.

A lack of funding accounts for 47% of cuts to middle school sports programs, the survey found. Youth sports participation dropped to 45% following the 2008 recession and declined to 38% by 2014, according to The Aspen Institute.

“Sports are an important part of our students’ development, giving them a safe environment to play, stay active and develop valuable teamwork and leadership skills,” said Wayne D. Walters, interim superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools in a statement. “Thanks to Mission Tiger, we’ll be able to provide our middle schoolers across the entire district with the equipment and opportunities they need to keep playing the sports they love for years to come.”

The Pittsburgh Public School District is the largest of 43 school districts in Allegheny County and second largest in Pennsylvania. The district serves more than 20,000 students in pre-kindergarten through grade 12.

#Ad Always good to be home, especially when I get to bring a surprise for the kids. Today me and Tony the Tiger are donating game-changing equipment to the athletes @PPSnews from @frosted_flakes... Can’t wait to hit the field with these kids. Let’s see what they got!

— Najee Harris (@ohthatsNajee22) April 21, 2022

Harris said football has had a positive impact on his life – both on and off the field. It is important to be a positive influence in your community, he said.

“We want each of you to have the right equipment and uniforms to play,” Harris said. “We want all of you to have the ability to reach your inner tiger.”

And be “GRRREAT!”