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Local youth plays football at Reliant
Ryan Neisner of Columbus competes in the 8-9-year-old boys’ division of the 2008 Pepsi Punt, Pass & Kick Houston Texans Team Championship Event at Reliant Stadium in Houston Sunday, Nov. 9.
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By Jacob Truchard, Sports Writer
A Columbus youth recently earned the opportunity to play football at Reliant Stadium in Houston.
Ryan Neisner, 9, competed in the 2008 Pepsi Punt, Pass & Kick Houston Texans Team Championship Event Sunday, Nov. 9. The event was part of the pre-game show, prior to the Houston Texans/Bal-timore Ravens NFL football game.
“It was really fun but really scary because there were lots of people,” Neisner said.
Neisner competed in the 8-9-year-old division, placing third overall in his group. He won a local competition and a sectional competition later at Victoria to qualify for the event. Only five kids were picked overall from all of the age division section events taking place in the state to advance to the championship at Reliant.
Neisner finished the sectional event with a 210 feet, 3 inch overall score to make it to Houston.
He recorded 82 feet in the kick portion of competition at Reliant Stadium.
“He beat some of the 15-year-olds in the competition,” said Dr. David Neisner, Ryan’s father. “It was a great kick.”
Ryan recorded 72 feet in the punt competition, but struggled in the pass portion with 45 feet. He recorded 68 feet in passing in the sectional competition in Victoria.
“There was a lot of pressure competing in Reliant Stadium,” Ryan said. “I wanted to win the whole thing.”
Dr. Neisner said if Ryan had been able to pass like he did in practices, he would have scored high enough to move on to nationals, but was very proud of his son’s performances, competing against elite athletes from across the state. The four highest scores in each overall division advance to the national competiton, scheduled to take place prior to an NFL playoff game.
Ryan and his family, including his parents Dr. Neisner and Lurlyn, stayed at the Crown Plaza Houston Plaza across from Reliant Stadium during the weekend.
“It was a nice hotel,” Ryan said.
During the night before the event, Ryan and his dad could not find a place to practice around Reliant so they went over to the Rice University tennis courts.
Dr. Neisner said it turned out to be a great place to prepare for the competition. Ryan was very excited to practice at Rice University and it helped him prepare for the big event the next day.
Ryan added that not only was the event a great experience for his young football career, but that he met many great athletes from all over Texas and made some new friends.
The family also received tickets to watch the Texans’ game following the competition making it a “fun football weekend.”
“I got a neat football jersey, pants and hat from the competition,” Ryan said. “I was also given Reliant Bucks to purchase food during the football game.”
Ryan is currently a quarterback for the Columbus Youth Football junior varsity football team with his father serving as one of the coaches. The team went 8-0 during the regular season and will compete against La Grange in the Youth Football Super Bowl this Saturday, Nov. 22, hoping to retain their unblemised record.
Dr. Neisner said the Punt, Pass & Kick competition has helped build his son’s confidence as a quarterback on the youth football team and has also helped Ryan throw a lot stronger.
“It has also helped him become more of a leader,” Dr. Neisner said.
Ryan said he is not discouraged by not being able to take first this year and plans to compete in the Punt, Pass & Kick competition next fall.
“There is no doubt that I will go for it next fall,” Ryan said. “I will keep on practicing all year.”
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