Readers and Receivers: UW Football Players, Madison Reading Project Share Passion for Literacy

"Guys, they have a football book!" a first grade student yelled to his friends. He clutched the hardcover about Super Bowl champions to his chest like a wide receiver cradling a football to the end zone.

As if right on cue, Badger Football player Vinny Anthony II walked up to the young student, inviting him to read together.

"Wait. You're FOOTBALL PLAYERS?" The first grader asked, eyes wide and zeroing in on Anthony's bright red Wisconsin shirt.

Before long, the playground at Leopold Elementary School transformed into an outdoor library. Slides became seats and jungle gyms became reading nooks. 

MMSD and Madison School & Community Recreation (MSCR) welcomed the University of Wisconsin Football wide receivers and coaches to Leopold Elementary's summer semester site for a special reading event in partnership with Madison Reading Project, Inc. and UW Athletics. As part of the Badgers' Week of Service, student-athletes read to students and hand out free books — supporting MMSD’s Mad for Reading initiative and inspiring young readers across our community.

"Seeing the excitement on the kids' faces when they want to read with someone they can look up to is so great," Badger wide receiver Tyrell Henry said. "You can see how happy they are to read, and getting to be someone they can look up to is the best part for me." 

The learning goes both ways. Two students brought a group of the wide receivers a book in Spanish.

"I actually don't speak much Spanish, but we've got this, let's read it together," the student-athlete said.

Before long, the whole group of elementary and college students were cheering each other on as they read aloud together. 

From "Paw Patrol" to "Bluey" to "Captain Underpants," sports and mermaids, MMSD students and Badger student-athletes read dozens of books together, building a love of reading that scores big.