Carolina Panthers award $55,000 grant to North Carolina High School 
Athletic Association to support Heads Up Football safety program
 

Grant will fund training and certification for 2200 high 
school coaches
 
Chapel Hill, NC –   The Carolina Panthers have awarded 
the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 
(NCHSAA) with a $55,000 grant to support the NFL and 
USA Football’s Heads Up Football initiative.  Heads Up 
Football is a comprehensive player safety program that 
addresses proper equipment fitting, heat and hydration, 
concussion recognition and awareness and Heads Up 
Tackling fundamentals. The grant award was announced 
during the NCHSAA’s 2014 state high school football 
championship press conference in Chapel Hill. 
 
“The NCHSAA is a national leader in promoting safety for 
its schools and student-athletes,” said Panthers director 
of community relations Riley Fields. “The Panthers share 
similar values and are committed to enhancing player 
health and safety at the youth and high school levels.  
We are pleased to partner with the NCHSAA to provide 
new opportunities for high schools.”
 
“The NCHSAA is pleased to partner with the Carolina 
Panthers to offer the Heads Up Football education and 
training opportunity to our member schools,” said 
NCHSAA commissioner Davis Whitfield. “Any program 
that promotes the health and safety of our student-athletes 
is one that we will support."  
 
Since its debut in 2011, Heads Up Football has been 
adopted by over 5,600 youth athletic associations 
nationwide, which is 60% of the known youth football 
universe. During the past two seasons, over 1000 high 
schools nationally have adopted the program including 
the Wake County Public School System and Pitt County 
Schools.