Sprint, Ben Roethlisberger Hosted "Power To Play" Mini Football Camp For Essay Contest Winners

Sprint (NYSE:S) and Super Bowl champion quarterback Ben Roethlisberger today hosted thirty-three Pittsburgh area youths ages 8-13 at a mini football training camp coached by Roethlisberger. The camp was held at the Robert Morris Island Sports Center Golf Dome.

Sprint, in partnership with Roethlisberger, hosted the mini football camp for winners of the "Power to Play" essay contest. The essays were written based on the theme of, "Hard work has given me the power to ....." Almost 150 essays were received between Jan. 14 and Feb. 4, 2007. Topics ranged from overcoming a language barrier by learning to speak English, to battling asthma.

All entries were divided into three age groups based on age as of Jan. 14, 2007: (Group 1) Age 8-9; (Group 2) Ages 10-11; and (Group 3) Ages 12-13. Judging was based on creativity, clarity of expression and relevance to the theme. In the event of a tie, tied entries were re-judged based on relevance to the theme.

"I believe in encouraging children to work hard in pursuit of their dreams. I would not be in the NFL without hard work, determination and strong role models. I am honored to have participated in this event and to have met the distinguished winners of Sprint's essay contest," said Roethlisberger.

The kids participated in various football drill type activities, including a touchdown pass session with Roethlisberger, a field goal kicking contest, a tire run and a small football obstacle course. They each had an individual photo taken with Roethlisberger, and a group shot was taken as well. Roethlisberger also held a question and answer session with the kids.

"Sprint was so excited to be able to give these kids this opportunity to interact with and learn from Ben. Through the "Power to Play" program Sprint demonstrated to the youth of Pittsburgh the rewards that can come from hard work and dedication. Our goal is to provide customers with a quality communications device and a reliable network while improving the quality of life in the markets where they work and live. This commitment extends to wonderful community events like this one," said Mike Cusick, area vice president for Sprint.

For football enthusiasts, Sprint currently offers NFL Mobile, an exclusive product that allows fans to follow their favorite teams and players from their Sprint phones in real time and in a customizable manner. Existing Vision or Power Vision data subscribers or Nextel data subscribers can download NFL Mobile free of charge. A groundbreaking innovation in mobile sports entertainment, NFL Mobile is customizable to a fantasy football player's roster or for specific teams. With information updated every two seconds, NFL Mobile features a fast wireless delivery of NFL information, allowing users to claim bragging rights when it comes to real-time NFL player stats and scores. In addition, only Sprint can deliver a comprehensive package of exclusive mobile video and audio highlights available at the touch of a button.