Actor and comedian Rob Riggle takes selfies with students after the Celebrity Sweat Flag Football Challenge at GCU Stadium.
Photos by Ralph Freso / slideshow
Celebrities put on a show for the Celebrity Sweat Flag Football Challenge on Saturday, but host Grand Canyon University also drew some looks.
“It’s the most beautiful place we’ve played so far,” he said Tracy McGrady, an NBA Hall of Famer, captain and quarterback of Team T-Mac. “This is a beautiful campus. I just said yesterday I can’t believe it. I could see my son walking here.”
McGrady led his team to an 80-74 win over Team RG3, his third straight victory at the 23rd edition of this anchor event of Super Bowl weekend in the Valley, but it was all for a good cause — to help the military and to support the first responders and their families.
Few have said it better than comedians and actors Rob Rigglewho you may remember from Saturday Night Live, The Daily Show and numerous films – and he’s also a Navy veteran.
Team RG3 actor Frankie Muniz (center) tries to avoid having his flag pulled by Team T-MAC’s Tracy McGrady (left) and comedian/actor Rob Riggle (right).
“Any chance I have to support veterans and first responders, I will do it,” Riggle said. “We ask a lot of our first responders, we ask a lot of our veterans. We ask that you put your life on the line, write a blank check with your body every day, and do this so that we can live the lives we have.”
But before taking the field at GCU Stadium on Saturday, the 52-year-old showed his wry wit: “I get exposed so quickly out there. It will not take long.”
Benefactors included the Semper Fi & America’s Fund for Wounded Veterans and another well-known in Phoenix, the Pat Tillman Foundation, which provides grants to veterans.
It’s the first year the Tillman Foundation has been involved with the event hosted by Celebrity Sweat and the Chicago-based CEO Dan Futrell was surprised by GCU’s growing campus and encouraged its student veterans to apply for scholarships.
Former NHL hockey player Jeremy Roenick of Team RG3 (center) celebrates with students after catching a touchdown pass.
GCU students consistently displayed their exuberant enthusiasm skills, led by mascot Thunder, and they delivered a constant “Roobbb…Riiigglllles!” sing throughout the game and earn his waves and multiple selfies afterwards.
The Thundering Heard Pep Band and GCU Cheer chatted at the tailgate before the game, and Havoc leaders joined them in the march-in.
“It’s cool to do that at a football game because we don’t have football,” he said Luke StoffelChaos Vice President.
Several GCU departments helped with the show, led by the events team, but many individuals played a role such as: Lauren Frostan athletic coach for the GCU women’s soccer team who provided medical care to the aging athletes.
“It was a good way to show people our stadium,” Frost said. “I love our stadium.”
From all the celebrities, including NFL quarterbacks and Heisman Trophy winners Robert Griffin III (RG3) and Doug Flutie At the forefront of the losing team’s efforts, perhaps no one was more familiar with GCU than Frankie Muniz.
Team RG3 captain and former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III shows off his skills.
The “Malcolm in the Middle” star regularly attends GCU basketball games and has felt right at home on campus.
“Only the environment and the school are beautiful,” he said. “I like everything GCU is about, so I come out and support the basketball team, the school and it’s a good time. I’ve been to a lot of arenas and a lot of different types of games and this is really cool.”
Muniz wasn’t there to mess around with the RG3 team. “I’m competitive,” he said. “I’m going to Daytona next week.”
Muniz is making his second run in auto racing, this time in the entire ARCA Menards Series, beginning with the February 18 Daytona race. Playing soccer against top athletes and racing cars doesn’t worry Muniz, who has suffered numerous concussions and mini-strokes in his life.
“You can’t live in fear, can you?” he said. “Of course I don’t want to get hurt. But you shouldn’t let that slow you down.”
The afternoon featured Phoenix’s sunny, perfect weather as eyes were turned to the sky early on as the football landed on the wings of the veteran-owned Frog-X parachute team and its members slid onto the turf.
Athletes like the former Phoenix Suns player Shawn Marionpro wrestler Brie And Nikki BellaUFC fighter Justin Gaethjeformer professional hockey star Jeremy Roenick and numerous others ran a fast-paced game full of steady touchdowns.
None was sportier than KJ Osbornone of the few active athletes on the field, a receiver for the Minnesota Vikings.
NFL wide receiver KJ Osborn plays “The Griddy” for students after catching a touchdown pass.
“I come out here for the people, put on a show, run around and have fun,” he said, shrugging off any concerns he might have about an injury. “I’m out here for the Super Bowl, so it’s all fun. I will definitely go 30%.”
The game, which was broadcast locally by NBC’s KPNX (Channel 12), didn’t look like it. He caught the first touchdown, performed his team’s signature “the gritty” dance, caught a second and led a “skol chant” for the fans before finishing with four touchdowns for RG3’s team.
“We talked in our Uber on the way. This place is beautiful, good weather and the field is beautiful,” he said.
Social media personality Josh Richards (center) tries to avoid actor Hannibal Burress.
Despite all that sporting talent, the students saved some of their loudest cheers for social media stars like the TikTok influencer josh richards.
He even made a catch or two, as did Muniz, while some soccer stars like Flutie were happy to just walk on the grass (Flutie barefoot) and hike the ball.
McGrady, who hurled spirals like he wasn’t a basketball star but a football star, collected the trophy and compared his team’s three-peat to Michael Jordan’s.
But Jordan didn’t have Riggle on his team.
Grand Canyon University senior author Mike Kilen can be reached at [email protected] or at 602-639-6764.
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