My First New England Patriots Game with Fuel Up to Play 60

I woke up on Sunday December 8 tired and hungry. It was 7 in the morning and I wanted to go back to bed, but I couldn’t. I was too excited. In an hour and a half I would be leaving to go to the Patriots vs. Browns game at Gillette Stadium! This wasn’t an ordinary game either. I got to go on the field AND be on the Jumbotron! I piled on layer after layer before I got in the car then realized I had to take half of the layers off because if I left them on for too long in the warm car then I would be freezing at the game. When we got to Gillette we realized that we were a little early so we decided we wanted to go shopping for a bit. I thought it was cool that so many people were tailgating. It was freezing cold too! How could they be tailgating!?

We went to the shops and looked around. I actually bought a couple Christmas presents for my friends! As we were walking back to the car we saw Lily and talked to her. When we got to the car we put on more layers and I felt like a marshmallow, but I wasn’t cold the entire game so it was worth it. We walked to the area where we checked in and saw Noah, Lily and Emily. We waited for Aby to come and it finally set in that I was going to go on the field. Me, a girl from a small town in Massachusetts, gets to be on the field while the Patriots are warming up and be on the Jumbotron. It didn’t seem possible.

Our moms started to take pictures of us holding a Fuel Up to Play 60 sign. When we started walking toward the field I was freaking out. TOM BRADY WAS LESS THAN 100 YARDS AWAY FROM ME. I was taking pictures and videos galore. After we took a few videos and pictures from the home side of the field we were led to the away side where we were waiting and taking pictures. Pat Patriot came over to the crowd of people and started high fiving and fist bumping us. We took a picture with two of the Patriot cheerleaders and Pat Patriot while holding the FUTP60 sign. I knew that that picture was going to be on the Jumbotron.

We patiently, well not so patiently because we were cold, waited for the Patriots to come out on the field to warm up. Then it happened a roar came over the stadium and a few Patriots came out of the locker room. Vereen, Amendola, and Edelman all ran right by me. I was screaming. Then basically half of the team came out of the locker room. Some good music came on and Pat Patriot started dancing in front of me. I was filming him and he came right up to my camera and started dancing. It was pretty cool.

I was kind of sad when we had to leave the field to go up to our seats. Being on the field was amazing especially since it was my first game! My mom and I walked up to our seats and put hand warmers on our hands because they were freezing. That game was a time when I wished I had those touch screen gloves!

There was a moment of silence for the late great Nelson Mandela, then someone sang the National Anthem and it was time for kick off! The first half was a good one. But it was a little disappointing because WE WERE LOSING.

It was then half time and we heard a voice come over the stadium saying “Fuel Up to Play 60…” and we looked at the Jumbotron. THERE WE WERE. The entire stadium could see us. I couldn’t believe I was on the Jumbotron, holy moly how did that happen?! After it was over, a few people left. I stayed though. It was my first game and I wasn’t going to let the cold drive me away from staying the entire game. After the Browns scored their final touchdown of the game and were up by two touchdowns with around two minutes left in the game, people started to leave because they were losing faith that the Patriots would win.

I stayed. They scored. They did the onside kick. They got the ball back. The Patriots won and the crowd went nuts. It was the best first game to go to! Thank you Fuel Up to Play 60 and the New England Dairy and Food Council!

Jaclyn G.
Massachusetts State Ambassador
8th Grade