Karina Bland
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 31 2008 10:29 am
A boy needs his mom's unconditional support, whether he's a scrawny 7-year-old flag footballer or a strapping professional athlete.
"The most important thing is that you support whatever they are in, making sure they see your face on the sidelines," said Loreanne Tomlinson, mother of running back LaDainian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers. "We are their first - and forever - favorite fans."
Tomlinson and three other moms of NFL players talked about what it takes to raise good men while in Arizona this week to promote the Campbell's Chunky Soup/NFL Tackling Hunger program.
Since 1997, Campbell's has donated more than 35 million cans of soup to hunger relief agencies across the country. At St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance in Phoenix on Wednesday, Campbell's John Faulkner, director of brand communications, announced a donation of one million cans of soup to food banks across the country, including 1,000 cans for Arizona.
The player's moms star in Chunky Soup's latest advertising campaign, calling in their grown-up boys from a pick-up football game to eat.
Having plenty of food in the house is imperative when raising boys, the NFL moms agreed. A well-stocked refrigerator and pantry mean the kids will hang out at your house.
"Then you always know where they are," Tomlinson said.
"And then you know what they're eating," chimed in Andrea Jones, mother of running back Maurice Jones-Drew of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Keeping children involved in activities keeps them too busy to get into trouble, the moms said, not just sports but also school and church activities. No matter what the activity, moms should be there, said Deena Heap of Phoenix. Her son Todd Heap, an Arizona State University graduate, plays tight end for the Baltimore Ravens.
When Christine Johnson's son, running back Larry Johnson of the Kansas City Chiefs, was in high school, she drove for hours to get to his away games. She said parents should be their kids' most avid boosters.
"Plus, if they got hurt, if anything happened, I would be there," Johnson said.
Even now, their boys want them to attend as many games as they can. They appreciate the unconditional support. No matter how they play, Jones said, "They're still No. 1 in our eyes."
With all four moms, school had to come before sports. Jones said her son's school required a C average to be eligible to play; she required a B average.
The moms didn't waiver from that rule, and moms' rules remained no matter how big their boys became.
"You just discipline looking up," Tomlinson said. By high school, the boys were towering over their moms.
"You have to be the bad guy sometimes," Johnson said. "So many parents want to be their kids' friend."
Standing next to her, Tomlinson said, "They have plenty of friends."
"That's right," Johnson said, "but they have only one mother."
