The NFL designated August as USA Football month, a time to recognize USA Football's Head's Up Football program for their efforts in educating coaches and players on safety and proper techniques.

In honor of USA Football month, the Chiefs invited a Head's Up Football team, the Heart of America Pop Warner Gators, to tour Arrowhead Stadium with Chiefs Ambassador Shawn Barber.

"When the kids were led down to the field, they were just in awe of the stadium," Jeremy Bowen, head coach of the Gators, noted. "They were completely surprised when they saw Shawn Barber. He talked to them about the importance of safety and keeping their bodies healthy. I've actually had parents tell me that their children haven't been eating cake or cookies anymore because 'it's football season and they need to be healthy.' They really took what he said to heart and loved hearing from him."  

During the tour, the Chiefs surprised the group with tickets to a preseason game, plus a chance to be on the field representing their team for USA Football Night at Arrowhead Stadium.

On Tuesday, the surprises continued as the group received a visit from Donnie Avery, Eric Kush, Josh Martin and Chiefs Ambassador Anthony Davis. They led the teams through a Heads Up Football Skill Challenge at the Pavilion outside of Arrowhead Stadium.

"This event was a great way to spend time with these kids, while also promoting safety," Kush said. "It's very important for us to give back to the community, because without the fans we wouldn't have a job. These kids were thrilled to be here, they were happy to learn from us and let us teach them about safety and proper techniques. We want to help them and teach them, so we can prevent injuries from happening to them now or later in their football career."

The Chiefs are continually striving to create awareness of player health and safety in youth and high school football. To learn more about USA Football's Head's Up program, visit usafootball.com.