Professional Football Players Mothers Association celebrates 25 years of supporting the NFL
Courtesy TORIRU
The Professional Football Players Mothers Association, whose mission is to be a support system for the mothers of both active and retired football players, celebrated its 25th anniversary in Kansas City this past weekend. Along with supporting their NFL sons, the mothers continue to focus on their mission to “serve, support, educate, and strengthen our communities through charitable giving” year after year. This year was no different.
One of the first PFPMA meetings happened in KC in 1999. One of the founding mothers here to celebrate this past weekend, Edith Morgan, is also the mother of the legendary late Chiefs Linebacker Derrick Thomas. She recalls how her son encouraged her to move forward with the organization and how the players needed something like this.
“When we started this organization, and I was telling Derrick what I was doing, he said, ‘Well, Mom, how many names do you have?’” Morgan says. “I said, ‘We got about 100.’ He said, ‘Mom, you know it’s over 2000 players in the NFL? You need to reach out and do this.’”
She went on to share that she started a tent in KC to serve food to both teams. While serving, she would be in the parking lot, getting the contact information for the players and their mothers. This eventually led to the founders compiling a list of NFL moms and sending out handwritten letters to recruit others. Founding members Carol Bowden-Crockett (mother of Joe Bowden), Mary Taylor-Ojo (mother of Bobby Taylor), and Sharon Stoutmire (mother of Omar Stoutmire) all mentioned the love this organization shares as one of their favorite parts.
Along with celebrating the 25th anniversary of PFPMA, the mothers awarded a number of scholarships to graduating seniors in the Kansas City Public School District earlier this year. Supporting scholars has always been important to this organization and the players. In 1990, Derrick Thomas helped establish the Third and Long Foundation, whose mission is to provide the necessary tools to “sack” illiteracy for students here in the KC metro.
The “Wise Women with a Vision-Making an Impact on the Future Gala” over the weekend featured sponsors, mothers, and former NFL players as they honored the founding mothers of the organization. The event started with a message from Mayor Quinton Lucas as he congratulated the women on 25 years of “outstanding service.” Mothers were presented with pink blazers with pinnets. Former Detroit Lions DE Robert Porcher was in attendance to support his mother, Marilyn Porcher, and presented her pink jacket.
“I just want to say, as a son who’s been here from day one, Moms—none of this happens without you,” Porcher said.
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All photos by TORIRU
