Al Roker, Lester Holt, and Deuce McAllister kicked off the Science of NFL Football on the Today Show! The 10-part video series starring past and present NFL stars was produced in partnership with the NFL, NBC, and the National Science Foundation.
Man, this was one of the most exciting projects I’ve ever worked on (partnership director). I originally pitched this as the Science of Pro Cheerleading but, what the heck, this ain’t too shabby. Huge round of applause to the National Science Foundation for making this possible. Together, with the incomparable professionals at NBC and NFL, we present to you, the Science of NFL Football….with a few procheerleaders-turned-scientists- and engineers sprinkled in here and there. Can’t help it. And, these gals do a great job inspiring young women to consider careers in science and technology so SciCheer is broadening the distribution of this series. We will debut new video stories every week for the next seven weeks.
First, here’s more from NBC: In America, the autumn season means two things— back to school and back to football. To celebrate both events, NBC News’ educational arm, NBC Learn, is teaming up with the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Football League (NFL) to release the “Science of NFL Football”— an informative 10-part video series that explores the science behind America’s most beloved sport, featuring current and former NLF players. Made especially for students and teachers as they head back to the classroom, these videos are aligned to lesson plans and national state education standards, and are available to the public cost-free on www.NBCLearn.com , www.science360.gov , and ScienceCheerleader.com .
“NBC is extremely excited to offer this creative video series that combines science education and a sport that so many kids know and love,” said Steve Capus, President of NBC News.
“As children go back to school and the country gets back to football, we are pleased to partner with NBC and NSF to bring our fans a new way to understand the game they love,” said Tracy Perlman, NFL Vice President of Entertainment Marketing and Promotions.
The science is broken down by capturing former and current NFL players’ movements with a state-of-the-art, high-speed Phantom camera, which has the ability to capture movement at rates of up to 2,000 frames per second. These dynamic visuals allow for frame-by-frame illustrations of specific scientific principles such as Newton’s Three Laws of Motion, kinematics and projectile motion. The phantom video shoot was overseen by the NBC Olympics Production Group, which also provided research and technical support throughout the project
Former NFL Saints running back and two-time Pro Bowl selection, Deuce McAllister was  in New Orleans  to premiere the video series on NBC’s “TODAY” show.  McAllister participated in the “Kinematics” video shoot, which analyzes the science of human motion through position, velocity and acceleration.
“It’s exciting for the NFL to be a part of this effort to bring science from the football field to the classroom,” said McAllister. “When we can energize our students to learn through physical fitness and sports, it’s win-win for everyone.”
GOOO Science!
#1: Chemist and former New Orleans Saints cheerleader, Michelle, presents Projectile Motions and Parabolas!
#2: Doctor, Lawyer, and former Washington Redskins cheerleader, Regina, presents Nutrition,  Hydration, and Health!
#3: NASA aerospace engineer and former Houston cheerleader, Summer, presents Vectors!
#4: Mechanical engineer and former Tennessee Titans cheerleader, Jennifer, presents Position, Velocity and Acceleration!!
#5: Computer scientist and current San Francisco 49ers cheerleader, Erica, presents Geometric Shapes!
#6: Emergency room nurse and former Atlanta Falcons cheerleader, Sandra, presents Newton’s First Law of Motion!
#7: Chemist and former Indianapolis Colts cheerleader, Kristie, presents Pythagorean Theorem!
#8: Double degree-holder (biology and chemistry) and former captain of the Philadelphia Eagles cheerleaders, Allison, presents Newton’s Second Law of Motion!
#9: Biomedical engineer-in-training, Wendy, presents Newton’s Third Law of Motion!
#10: Soon-to-be PhD, Erin, presents Torque and Center of Mass!