Slideshow

Slideshow: The first lady is ready for some football!

4:33 PM on 09/09/2010

Join Our Mailing List

Related News: Roseanne Barr seeks Green Party presidential nod; Michelle Obama shows off push-up skills on 'Ellen'; Michelle Obama on 'Tonight Show': President Obama 'sings to me all the time' (VIDEO)

Share Bar

First lady Michelle Obama participates in the Let's Move! Campaign and the NFL's Play 60 Campaign festivities with area youth, to promote exercise and fight childhood obesity, Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2010, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

CHEVEL JOHNSON, Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- First lady Michelle Obama came Wednesday to the French Quarter, not for fine dining or jazz but to play football with the NFL.

She caught a pass during a flag football drill with a group of children at a temporary football field in Woldenberg Park. The NFL's Play 60 clinic is part of the league's events for the Thursday launch of its football season.

The program encourages children to move at least an hour each day. Its goals are similar to her "Let's Move!" campaign against childhood obesity. In July, she teamed up with Major League Baseball in Baltimore to promote exercise and healthy eating for America's youth.

"We're here because of you," she told about 70 students from the metropolitan New Orleans area. "We want you guys to grow up strong and healthy. Anyone can be smart and funny but if you're not in good health, we know that you will have a hard way to go."

She joined NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy and former players, including New Orleans Saints running back Deuce McAllister and New England Patriots wide receiver Rodney Harrison.

"To team up with the first lady is definitely a good thing," McAllister said. "It goes right with what we're doing here today. I think the biggest thing is to keep people healthy now. If we do that, we may not have these diseases we're seeing popping up, like heart disease and diabetes."

Earlier Wednesday at Brock Elementary School in Slidell, La., Mrs. Obama launched a new phase of her program, focusing on nutrition.

Mrs. Obama said she wants food manufacturers to have better nutrition labels on products, more restaurants to post calorie information and to have better food and healthier options in schools and grocery stores.

She said the Louisiana school is a "model of excellence in teaching our children healthy habits."

The school's students participate in food-tasting parties and work with the cafeteria manager to teach their peers about healthy eating, she said.

"The reality is that our schools are on the front lines of our efforts to fight childhood obesity," she said. "The nutrition education they get at schools might be the only guidance they get on making healthy decisions about what they eat."

Enlarge

Previous Next

First lady Michelle Obama participates in the Let's Move! Campaign and the NFL's Play 60 Campaign festivities with area youth, to promote exercise and fight childhood obesity, Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2010, in New Orleans.
(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
First lady Michelle Obama high fives as she participates in the Let's Move! Campaign and the NFL's Play 60 Campaign festivities with area youth, to promote exercise and fight childhood obesity, Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2010, in New Orleans. At left is former NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Derrick Brooks.
(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
First lady Michelle Obama hugs NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, left, as former NFL head coach Tony Dung looks on at right, after participating in the Let's Move! Campaign and the NFL's Play 60 Campaign festivities with area youth, to promote exercise and fight childhood obesity, Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2010, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
First lady Michelle Obama participates in the Let's Move! Campaign and the NFL's Play 60 Campaign festivities with area youth, to promote exercise and fight childhood obesity, Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2010, in New Orleans. At left is former Tennessee Titans running back Eddie George (27). (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
First lady Michelle Obama catches a touchdown pass in a flag football game as she participates in the Let's Move! Campaign and the NFL's Play 60 Campaign festivities with area youth, to promote exercise and fight childhood obesity, Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2010, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
First lady Michelle Obama high fives NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after she scored a touchdown in a flag football game while participating in the Let's Move! Campaign and the NFL's Play 60 Campaign festivities with area youth, to promote exercise and fight childhood obesity, Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2010, in New Orleans.
(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
First lady Michelle Obama runs a 40-yard sprint as she participates in the Let's Move! Campaign and the NFL's Play 60 Campaign festivities with area youth, to promote exercise and fight childhood obesity, Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2010, in New Orleans.
(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
First lady Michelle Obama participates in the Let's Move! Campaign and the NFL's Play 60 Campaign festivities with area youth, to promote exercise and fight childhood obesity, Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2010, in New Orleans. Behind her is NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, center, and former NFL head coach Tony Dungy, background right.
(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
First lady Michelle Obama hugs a participant as she participates in the Let's Move! Campaign and the NFL's Play 60 Campaign festivities with area youth, to promote exercise and fight childhood obesity, Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2010, in New Orleans.
(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
First lady Michelle Obama participates in the Let's Move! Campaign and the NFL's Play 60 Campaign festivities with area youth, to promote exercise and fight childhood obesity, Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2010, in New Orleans. At left is NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, aat right is former NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Derrick Brooks. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell hands off to former Tennessee Titans running back Eddie George as they, first lady Michelle Obama, and former NFL coach Tony Dungy, background, participate in the Let's Move! Campaign and the NFL's Play 60 Campaign festivities with area youth, to promote exercise and fight childhood obesity, Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2010, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
First lady Michelle Obama participates in the Let's Move! Campaign and the NFL's Play 60 Campaign festivities with area youth, to promote exercise and fight childhood obesity, Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2010, in New Orleans.
(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell hands a football off to first lady Michelle Obama as she participates in the Let's Move! Campaign and the NFL's Play 60 Campaign festivities with area youth, to promote exercise and fight childhood obesity, Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2010, in New Orleans.
(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
First lady Michelle Obama throws a pass while participating in the Let's Move! Campaign and the NFL's Play 60 Campaign festivities with area youth, to promote exercise and fight childhood obesity, Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2010, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
First lady Michelle Obama participates in the Let's Move! Campaign and the NFL's Play 60 Campaign festivities with area youth, to promote exercise and fight childhood obesity, Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2010, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
First lady Michelle Obama participates in the Let's Move! Campaign and the NFL's Play 60 Campaign festivities with area youth, to promote exercise and fight childhood obesity, Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2010, in New Orleans. At left is NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Michelle Obama participates in the Let's Move! Campaign and the NFL's Play 60 Campaign festivities with area youth, to promote exercise and fight childhood obesity, Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2010, in New Orleans, At right is former NFL coach Tony Dungy. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Follow theGrio on Facebook & Twitter!

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- First lady Michelle Obama came Wednesday to the French Quarter, not for fine dining or jazz but to play football with the NFL. She caught a pass during a flag football drill with a group of children at a temporary football field in Woldenberg Park. The NFL's Play 60 clinic is part of the league's events for the Thursday launch of its football season. The program encourages children to move at least an hour each day. Its goals are similar to her "Let's Move!" campaign against childhood obesity. In July, she teamed up with Major League Baseball in Baltimore to promote exercise and healthy eating for America's youth. "We're here because of you," she told about 70 students from the metropolitan New Orleans area. "We want you guys to grow up strong and healthy. Anyone can be smart and funny but if you're not in good health, we know that you will have a hard way to go." She joined NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy and former players, including New Orleans Saints running back Deuce McAllister and New England Patriots wide receiver Rodney Harrison. "To team up with the first lady is definitely a good thing," McAllister said. "It goes right with what we're doing here today. I think the biggest thing is to keep people healthy now. If we do that, we may not have these diseases we're seeing popping up, like heart disease and diabetes." Earlier Wednesday at Brock Elementary School in Slidell, La., Mrs. Obama launched a new phase of her program, focusing on nutrition. Mrs. Obama said she wants food manufacturers to have better nutrition labels on products, more restaurants to post calorie information and to have better food and healthier options in schools and grocery stores. She said the Louisiana school is a "model of excellence in teaching our children healthy habits." The school's students participate in food-tasting parties and work with the cafeteria manager to teach their peers about healthy eating, she said. "The reality is that our schools are on the front lines of our efforts to fight childhood obesity," she said. "The nutrition education they get at schools might be the only guidance they get on making healthy decisions about what they eat." _Copyright 2010 The Associated Press._