Houston, TX – February 3, 2017 – Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing and Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis, took off their pads today to promote early financial learning by playing a different kind of football. Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar and representatives of Visa, BBVA Compass and the Texas Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy joined the players in the Super Bowl LI Media Center to play a game of Visa's Financial Football. Financial Football is a free educational video game and classroom curriculum developed by the NFL and Visa.
Comptroller Hegar's office is teaming up with BBVA Compass, Visa and the Texas Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy to expand their financial literacy program, featuring Financial Football, in schools across Texas. Copies of the game, including teaching resources, will be provided to every high school and middle school in the state, as well as various community organizations. There is an additional online component for all Texans that can be found at .
"At Visa we believe that the best path toward achieving a bright financial future for both students and consumers is through public and private partnerships," said Hugh Norton, head of U.S. financial education for Visa Inc. "We are proud to join with Comptroller Hegar, BBVA Compass, the NFL and the Texas Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy because we have the same shared goal of improving the financial literacy of all Texans. When that happens, everybody wins."
Financial Football is the foundation of Visa's nationwide financial education initiative with the NFL and NFL Players Association. The game uses the rules of football to challenge students' knowledge of finances in a simulation game environment. While engaging and entertaining players, Financial Football helps them better understand the complicated topic of personal finance.
"Financial education is critical, especially for young people, and it doesn't have to be boring," said Glenn Hegar, Texas comptroller of public accounts. "Programs like Financial Football can introduce students to basic financial concepts in a way that's interesting and fun – and they're more likely to remember things they enjoy. I want to thank Visa and the NFL for introducing students in Houston and across Texas to this valuable learning resource."
After sharing some personal experiences with the audience as to how they learned fiscal responsibility, Brian Cushing and Thomas Davis each coached a group of students from Northside and Jack Yates High Schools in a competitive, high-energy game of Financial Football, with the help of the Comptroller, and the Texas Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy. Representatives from BBVA Compass acted as life lines for students playing the game, while Visa's head of U.S. financial education, Hugh Norton, moderated the action.
"Growing up, we didn't have classes or programs to educate us on how to properly take care of our finances," said Texans linebacker and 2016 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award Nominee, Brian Cushing. "I am thankful for the opportunity to be here today to help students in our community take early steps to understand the skills they will need to build strong financial futures for themselves and their families."
"It doesn't matter if you are a professional athlete or student with a part-time job, the same financial principles apply," said Panthers' linebacker, two-time Pro Bowler and 2014 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Thomas Davis. "If students come away learning even just one new thing about budgeting, saving and investing, than the day was a success."
BBVA Compass, the Texas Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy and Visa will join with the Texas Comptroller's Office to promote the expansion of Financial Football in the state.
"BBVA Compass is dedicated to promoting financial education and creating opportunities for people to take control of their financial lives," said BBVA Compass Texas Regional Executive Jeff Dudderar. "The basics of banking, saving and spending wisely are important for students to learn, so they can build a bright future. Financial Football is a fun way to introduce those concepts, and we are excited to be partnering with Visa to promote critical programs like Financial Football across the state of Texas."
"Managing money is a complex issue that goes beyond checking your account balance and avoiding overdraft fees. It is vital to teach students the significance of their personal finance and spending decisions," said Princeton Williams, Chair, Texas Jump$tart Coalition and Economic Education Supervisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. "Jump$tart partners like Visa are vital in the work of engaging and educating students. Innovative programs like Financial Football keep students interested in learning about finances."
BBVA Compass is a Sunbelt-based financial institution that operates 674 branches, including 345 in Texas, 89 in Alabama, 75 in Arizona, 62 in California, 45 in Florida, 38 in Colorado and 20 in New Mexico. BBVA Compass ranks among the top 25 largest U.S. commercial banks based on deposit market share and ranks among the largest banks in Alabama (2nd), Texas (4th) and Arizona (4th). BBVA Compass was recently named Best Digital Bank in North America by global finance magazine Euromoney and the best regional bank in the South & West and best mobile app in Money magazine's 2015-2016 list of the Best Banks in America. Additional information about BBVA Compass can be found at bbvacompass.com, by following @BBVACompassNews on Twitter or visiting newsroom.bbvacompass.com.