Mary Crippen has turned a love of the NFL into a one‑of‑a‑kind classroom that teaches courage, integrity, commitment, honesty and respect alongside math and reading. Her “gridiron geography”–style curriculum uses real pro football schedules, stats and standings to get even the most reluctant learners engaged, then challenges them to see how the values behind the game apply to their own lives.
That innovative work was recognized when former Miami Dolphin and Pro Football Hall of Famer Dwight Stephenson walked into her classroom with Brittney and Jarrett Payton, the children of Pro Football Hall of Famer Walter Payton, to present the Hall’s first‑ever Award of Character, an honor created to recognize teachers, nurses, coaches, first responders and veterans whose impact goes far beyond their job titles. The Awards of Character are presented through a partnership between the Pro Football Hall of Fame and USA TODAY Co.
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Surrounded by her third graders, Crippen listened as Stephenson and the Paytons explained why her curriculum, social media reach and focus on character make her “in a class of her own.” For Crippen, the moment was surreal — not because of the spotlight, but because it showed students that what they do in class every day matters just as much as what happens on the field.
About the educator
Crippen teaches third grade in Miami-Dade County Public Schools, where she is best known for calling out “Class, class!” — and hearing a chorus of “Yes, yes!” in response — as she pulls students into lessons built around the NFL season. In the video, students talk about how she “teaches math and football” together and how “the whole class, including Ms. Crippin, we’re all working together and it’s really fun.”
Her passion for teaching runs in the family. She explains that she became a teacher because of her mother, who taught fifth grade and once ran her own NFL program called “gridiron geography.” Years ago, her mom used that idea to reach a group of fifth‑grade boys who weren’t doing homework; once they drafted teams and tied assignments to football, “they came alive.” Now, Crippen has taken that concept “to a whole other level,” as her mother proudly notes.
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Colleagues and family members describe her as “the epitome of goodness,” someone who always puts the community first and “works for others.” One relative says she embodies traits that would make any Hall of Famer proud, from selflessness to the belief that every child deserves a seat at the table.
Pinecrest Elementary third-grade teacher Mary Crippen, center, is joined by Jarrett Payton and Brittney Payton who presented the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Award of Character to Crippen for her innovative work in her Florida classroom.
Classroom innovations rooted in football
In Crippen’s room, football is a hook, not a distraction. She might stop mid‑lesson, realize students aren’t quite getting it, and switch gears on the spot — pulling up Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s past numbers and asking, “Which game did he have the most passing yards?” As students shout “Patriots! Patriots!” they are also interpreting data, comparing performances and explaining their thinking.
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Her lessons routinely blend division standings, weekly matchups and game predictions with core academic skills. Students write their names on prediction cards, track results, and “clap it up” when the Dolphins notch a big win — all while practicing reading, writing and math in a context they care about. One student says, “I like doing the division standings. We do predictions. Then we get the matchups,” describing how those routines make learning feel like game day.
Social media has amplified her impact. Her mother points out that the program is no longer just a local project: people in Belgium, Australia and China who “knew nothing of football” are following along as she teaches standings and explains the basics of the sport. That global interest underscores how her approach uses football language to teach universal lessons about numbers, strategy and character.
Why the Hall of Fame honored her
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is partnering with USA TODAY to spotlight people whose work reflects the core values of enshrinees in Canton: courage, integrity, commitment, honesty and respect. In that initiative, the Hall is honoring not just players but also teachers, nurses, coaches, firefighters, police officers and veterans whose contributions are “invaluable.”
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Crippen was chosen as the very first recipient of the Award of Character. During the surprise visit, a Hall of Fame representative explains to her class that she is “in a class of her own,” noting how her curriculum has reached “millions across the globe” and inspired fans who once knew nothing about football to care about both the game and the lessons embedded in it.
Hall of Famer Dwight Stephenson, a legendary Miami Dolphins offensive lineman, joins the presentation, underscoring the connection between the gold‑jacket standard in Canton and the “little” everyday work happening in an elementary classroom. For the Hall, honoring Crippen sends a message that the values it celebrates are lived out not only in stadiums, but also in schools where teachers quietly change lives.
Brittney Payton, back left, joins third-grade teacher Mary Crippen, Pro Football Hall of Famer Dwight Stephenson and Jarrett Payton, along with Crippen’s third-grade class, to present the Hall’s Award of Character honoring Crippen’s innovative work in the classroom.
How she and her students reacted
Students first learn that “we are here to surprise Ms. Crippen today” and that she is getting an award from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As the visitors reveal the first‑ever Award of Character, the room buzzes with excitement. One guest shares that their own father is a Hall of Famer who played for the Chicago Bears, giving the class another tangible connection to the sport they follow.
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When asked what she hopes students take away from her teaching, Crippen doesn’t talk about test scores. Instead, she tells them that “anything can happen, no matter the odds, no matter what people tell you is going to happen.” Even if there’s only a 0.2% chance of getting an A, winning a race or nailing a gymnastics meet, she says, you still “give it everything you’ve got because anything can happen.”
She urges them to pursue what they want, to “go out there and get it,” and to remember that if “people don’t have a seat for you at the table, then you take your own chair and you make yourself a seat at the table.” Reflecting on the honor, she calls it “surreal” to see her two passions — the NFL and education — recognized by the Hall of Fame. She says she wakes up every day “excited to come to school,” and that there’s “never a day I don’t want to be here,” framing the award as a byproduct of simply doing what she loves with and for her students.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Miami teacher uses NFL to teach, earns Hall of Fame award