Popular annual series will feature live on-site broadcasts from all 32 NFL team training camps, plus Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

SIRIUS Satellite Radio, the Official Satellite Radio Partner of the NFL, will kick off its fourth annual SIRIUS NFL Radio Training Camp Tour on July 26, offering the most extensive radio coverage of all 32 NFL team camps plus the 2008 Pro Football Hall of Fame Induction ceremony, leading up to the start of the NFL season.

Over a three week period — July 26 to August 14 — SIRIUS NFL Radio hosts will broadcast exclusive shows live on location from all 32 NFL training camp sites around the country, giving listeners access to their favorite teams and players as they engage in two-a-day practices and full contact drills to prepare for the coming season. SIRIUS’ NFL insiders will provide an expert look at every team, interview players, coaches and franchise executives, and evaluate everything from the performances of fresh-out-of college rookies to the intense head-to-head competitions for starting roles. All shows air exclusively on SIRIUS NFL Radio channel 124.

On Saturday, July 26, the tour launches with back-to-back shows from the training camps of the New York Jets and the World Champion New York Giants. Former NFL defensive lineman Tim Ryan and longtime NFL front office executive Pat Kirwan will provide SIRIUS listeners with a first look at the defending Super Bowl champs when they host The End Zone live (2:00-6:00pm ET) from the Giants’ camp at the University at Albany in upstate New York. Immediately before The End Zone, veteran SIRIUS personality Adam Schein and former NFL lineman Ross Tucker will host The SIRIUS Blitz live (11:00am-2:00pm ET) from the Jets’ camp at Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY.

In addition to Ryan, Kirwan, Schein and Tucker, other SIRIUS hosts featured on the tour will include Gil Brandt, the longtime Pro Personnel exec for the Dallas Cowboys, former players Randy Cross, Shannon Sharpe, Solomon Wilcots and Jim Miller, former NFL coach Dean Dalton, plus NFL experts Vic Carucci, Zig Fracassi, Howard Balzer, Paul Allen and Steve Cohen.

A full schedule detailing show times, hosts and locations appears below.

On Saturday, August 2, SIRIUS will present a full day of live coverage from the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH for the 2008 induction ceremonies. SIRIUS’ coverage will include live primetime coverage of the enshrinement of the class of 2008 — which includes former 49ers DE Fred Dean, former Redskins DB Darrell Green, former Redskins WR Art Monk, former Chiefs DB Emmitt Thomas, former Patriots LB Andre Tippett and former Broncos T Gary Zimmerman.

The following day, August 3 at 8:00pm ET, SIRIUS will broadcast the first game of the 2008 NFL campaign — the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, featuring the Indianapolis Colts vs. the Washington Redskins. SIRIUS will offer the local radio broadcasts of the Colts (channel 126) and Redskins (channel 127), plus the national radio broadcast (channel 124).

As the Official Satellite Radio Partner of the NFL, SIRIUS broadcasts every NFL game live nationwide, from the pre-season through the Super Bowl and Pro Bowl. Listeners can hear home and visiting team broadcasts, national radio broadcasts and Spanish-language broadcasts for select games. SIRIUS listeners can also tune into SIRIUS NFL Radio, channel 124, the only radio channel dedicated to the NFL 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

2008 SIRIUS NFL Radio Training Camp Tour Schedule: (All times ET)
Sat, July 26:

New York Jets, Hempstead, NY 11am-2pm The SIRIUS Blitz with Adam Schein and Ross Tucker
New York Giants, Albany, NY 2-6pm The End Zone with Tim Ryan, Pat Kirwan

Sun, July 27:

New England Patriots, Foxborough, MA 12-4pm The End Zone with Tim Ryan and Pat Kirwan

Mon, July 28:

Chicago Bears, Bourbonnais, IL 10am-1pm The SIRIUS Blitz with Howard Balzer and Jim Miller
Buffalo Bills, Pittsford, NY 3-7pm Movin’ The Chains with Tim Ryan and Pat Kirwan
San Diego Chargers, San Diego, CA 7-10pm Late Hits with Vic Carucci and Gil Brandt

Tue, July 29:

Indianapolis Colts, Terre Haute, IN 12-3pm The Red Zone with Solomon Wilcots and Jim Miller
Detroit Lions, Allen Park, MI 3-7pm Movin’ The Chains with Tim Ryan and Pat Kirwan
Dallas Cowboys, Oxnard, CA 7-10pm Late Hits with Vic Carucci and Gil Brandt

Wed, July 30:

Cincinnati Bengals, Georgetown, KY 12-3pm The Red Zone with Solomon Wilcots and Jim Miller
Cleveland Browns, Berea, OH 3-7pm Movin’ The Chains with Tim Ryan and Pat Kirwan

Thu, July 31

Tennessee Titans, Nashville, TN 12-3pm The Red Zone with Solomon Wilcots and Jim Miller
Pittsburgh Steelers, Latrobe, PA 3-7pm Movin’ The Chains with Tim Ryan and Pat Kirwan

Fri, Aug. 1:

New Orleans Saints, Jackson, MS 12-3pm The Red Zone with Solomon Wilcots and Jim Miller

Sat, Aug. 2:

Pro Football Hall of Fame, Canton, OH Live coverage of the 2008 enshrinement ceremonies begins at 11am

Sun, Aug. 3:

AFC-NFC Hall of Fame Game: Indianapolis vs. Washington 8pm on SIRIUS channels 124, 126 and 127

Mon, Aug. 4:

Atlanta Falcons, Flowery Branch, GA 7-10am The Opening Drive with Randy Cross and Shannon Sharpe
Seattle Seahawks, Kirkland, WA 12-3pm The SIRIUS Blitz with Adam Schein and Solomon Wilcots
Carolina Panthers, Spartanburg, SC 3-7pm Movin’ The Chains with Tim Ryan and Pat Kirwan

Tue, Aug. 5:

Denver Broncos, Englewood, CO 1-3pm The SIRIUS Blitz with Adam Schein and Solomon Wilcots
Jacksonville Jaguars, Jacksonville, FL 3-7pm Movin’ The Chains with Tim Ryan and Pat Kirwan

Wed, Aug. 6:

Washington Redskins, Ashburn, VA 10am-1pm The SIRIUS Blitz with Adam Schein and Solomon Wilcots
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Lake Buena Vista, FL 3-7pm Movin’ The Chains with Tim Ryan and Pat Kirwan

Thu, Aug. 7:

Houston Texans, Houston, TX 1-3pm The Red Zone with Vic Carucci and Gil Brandt
Miami Dolphins, Davie, FL 3-7pm Movin’ The Chains with Tim Ryan and Pat Kirwan

Mon, Aug. 11:

Baltimore Ravens, Westminster, MD 10am-1pm The SIRIUS Blitz with Adam Schein and Ross Tucker
Minnesota Vikings, Mankato, MN 1-3pm The Red Zone with Paul Allen and Dean Dalton
Arizona Cardinals, Flagstaff, AZ 3-7pm Movin’ The Chains with Steve Cohen and Pat Kirwan

Tue, Aug. 12:

Kansas City Chiefs, River Falls, WI 10am-12pm The Red Zone with Vic Carucci and Gil Brandt
Philadelphia Eagles, Bethlehem, PA 12-3pm The SIRIUS Blitz with Adam Schein and Ross Tucker
Oakland Raiders, Napa Valley, CA 3-7pm Movin’ The Chains with Steve Cohen and Pat Kirwan

Wed, Aug. 13:

St. Louis Rams, Mequon, WI 1-3pm The Red Zone with Vic Carucci and Gil Brandt
San Francisco 49ers, Santa Clara, CA 3-7pm Movin’ The Chains with Tim Ryan and Pat Kirwan

Thu, Aug. 14:

Green Bay Packers, Green Bay, WI 1-3pm The Red Zone with Vic Carucci and Gil Brandt

** Schedule subject to change. **

Visit www.sirius.com/nfl to get a detailed tour map featuring camp locations, dates, times and featured hosts.

Source: SIRIUS Satellite Radio

Riki Ellison a 10-year veteran of the NFL and an alumnus of the University of Southern California announced today that this year’s Youth Impact Program (YIP), supported by the National Youth Football, Fund has opened last week in two major U.S. cites. The program has expanded to include two major NCAA Universities as well as the New Orleans Saints football team. Tulane University and the University of Southern California are hosts to the Youth Impact Program this year that began earlier this week on both campuses.

Ellison explained that more than 300 inner-city at-risk youth boys from ages 9-12 from local urban communities surrounding the universities have been selected to participate in the daily, four week program.

The Youth Impact Program has brought local elementary teachers from these communities to participate as mentors and teachers, coupled with active students from the universities during this time frame to extend it to a year round program. The boys are brought to the campuses, placed in academic time blocks focusing on language skills, mathematics, as well as life skills. The life skills curriculum focuses on conflict resolution, anger management, health and leadership.

The boys are served full nutritionally balanced meals daily and placed in groups of under 20, where the teacher/mentor ratio is 1 to 5. These same mentors and teachers are with the same group throughout the program. This allows a positive relationship to develop with a mentor figure that will follow the young boys throughout their development.

The Youth Impact Program continues to bring the boys, mentors/teachers together throughout the year to nurture and strengthen their relationship. One of the top attractions of this program is the allure of football. The NFL Youth Football Fund is providing all of the necessary equipment needed for the football aspect of the program. The young men play every day on the university campus coached by their same teachers and mentors. Some of the mentors are student athletes on NCAA athletic scholarships and others are from the same communities that the program participants are from.

The Youth Impact Program does not cost the families of the participants; The Youth Impact Program funds the program in its entirety. Support for the Youth Impact Program is provided by the NFL Youth Football Fund. The NFL Youth Football Fund was established in 1998 by the NFL and the NFL Players Association. It seeks to use football as a catalyst to promote positive youth development, support youth and high school football needs nationwide, and also ensure the health of grassroots football in future generations.

Congresswoman Diane Watson who represents the City of Los Angeles stated “I am proud of USC, the NFL, the NFL Players Association and Riki Ellison for their outreach into our community. I plan to share this model with other inner city communities that have a university and local school systems to partner with the Youth Impact Program by telling my colleagues in Congress about the program.”

Rita Benson LeBlanc the owner of the New Orleans Saints said “This is a fantastic program that will give our youth additional opportunities to develop skills to help them to be successful not only in athletics, but in life, the Saints are excited and proud to do our part.”

To read more about the program please visit www.youthimpactprogram.org

Source: Youth Impact Program