The 2019 Penn Football season got off to a global start as the Quakers competed in the Penn-China Global Ambassadors Bowl in Shanghai. Matched up against a team representing the American Football League of China, the Red and Blue capped their week in China with a comfortable win.
 
Just two weeks into spring practices with three new coaches on staff, the Quakers played every healthy player over 20+ snaps and allowed each to take in the grandeur of their international experience. The score was not important, the winner at Lokomotiv Stadium in downtown Shanghai was the sport of football.
 
For two hours before the game, Penn's coaches and players held clinics for young Chinese athletes aspiring to become football players. Included in the group was a team coached by Justin Chun GSE'16, who is residing in Shanghai. His team is the champion of the Chinese youth leagues, and recently traveled to Walt Disney World for the world championships. He was not going to let an opportunity for his youngsters to learn from his alma mater pass by.
 
One of the clinics in the morning was held for children participating in Special Olympics. Much like Penn Football's annual clinic for Special Olympics athletes in the Philadelphia area, this was a chance for Penn players to spend quality time with these outstanding young men and women while encouraging their continued pursuit of sport.
 
The most fascinating part of the clinics was the lack of language barrier. It didn't matter if you were American or Chinese, young or old. Everyone spoke the language of football and the most commonly spoken phrases came with a smile. Standing with Coach Priore at midfield and watching seven stations of action as the campers and Quakers found common ground, tears came to my eye thinking of how fortunate we were to be in that place at that time.
 
It finally felt like we were doing what we came here to do. Don't get me wrong, each experience before today was memorable and special. But, we're a football team and football is what we know and love. To share that with a group just finding their way through the sport was visibly meaningful to each and every Penn player and coach. In fact, multiple came up to the DDCR during and after the clinics and said they wished we'd done more of these during the week. Oh well, something to consider the next time we make one of these trips!
 
As game time drew near, the pomp and circumstance began. As you'd expect with an international event, there were multiple musical performances before the game – a great drum line and adorable set of cheerleaders had the crowd fired up. Then came the dignitaries. Representatives from the Chinese and U.S. governments joined Penn's Director of Athletics Dr. Grace Calhoun and folks from NFL China to officially open the game.
 
The only problem with all the pomp and circumstance was that it held the team up in its entrance tunnel. If you've ever been around Coach Priore in the final minutes before his team takes the field, you know he gets a bit antsy. The man's passion runs deep and he has a set amount of pregame energy that is timed perfectly to when the clock hits 0:00 and his team takes the field. On game days at Franklin Field, one of the DDCR's favorite responsibilities is making sure the team hits the tunnel exactly when it's supposed to. It fires me up to see and hear the players fired up, and being there inside that combustible nucleus reminds me how lucky I am to do what I do. Sometimes, if we're off a bit – usually because some other pregame event runs long – Coach P and the boys will just take the field. There was none of that today, you don't impose on the government over here. Trust that the DDCR made a mental note and is going to use the "can't take the field, the political folks are still talking" line as needed next fall.
 
When the team finally did take the field, they did so after one of the most exciting intros we've had. The PA announcer read his script like he was introducing a championship boxer, rattling off our seven national championship and 18 Ivy League titles as the crowd cheered and smoke rose to welcome the Quakers to China. It was fun, and kind of startling as most of the players weren't expecting the smoke and noise as we ran out.
 
The captains took the field – Penn had Sam Philippi joined by Karekin Brooks as well as Austin Cooper and Travis Wang. For Travis, the week has been special as the Hong Kong native has been a focal point back in his home region. And a little known fact about Austin Cooper is that he has taken Mandarin for six years, excited to use it in his business career upon graduation, so he's been a big help to us all in terms of translation. Coop called tails, and it did not fail. The Quakers took the ball and put on a show.
 
The second play of the game was a 60-yard touchdown pass from Mason Quandt to Darnell Fleury. On our first defensive possession, Jacob Martin did what Jacob Martin does and made a big play with an interception. That led to a touchdown pass from Ryan Glover to Rory Starkey, Jr. and Penn was off and running.
 
To be honest, those quick scores elicited a few sighs of relief on the Penn sideline. We were heavy favorites going in. We had the size, speed and experience advantage so all expectations were to win. No one wanted to be on the wrong side of a historic upset so early into spring ball with multiple new coaches. So, it was nice to have things go as planned and allow everyone to get into the flow.
 
By the time halftime rolled around, the score was 57-0. That wasn't for a lack of effort from the Chinese team. They had some big plays – a strip of a Penn receiver and fumble recovery led to a big cheer from the home fans as did a sack of Penn's quarterback late in the first quarter and a fourth-down conversion in the air early in the second quarter. There was more of the same in the second half. The Quakers scored a few more rushing touchdowns and added a 100-yard interception return after the AFLC All-Stars had marched to the doorstep just two yards from the end zone.
 
Despite the score, the atmosphere didn't really change. The hundreds of young boys and girls were cheering every play, often supporting both teams. There were many American ex-pats in the crowd with their families, getting a small slice of home 7,000 miles away. One of our seniors said they took 40 minutes worth of photos with fans, everyone wanting to meet American football stars.
 
After a big hit, the man who delivered it would extend a hand and help up the one who'd been knocked down. I'll always remember Zack Evans cheering on the player who stripped the ball from our receiver along our sideline, telling him it was a great play. That wouldn't happen in Cambridge or Hanover or Ithaca if the situation was the same and the opponent was an Ivy one.
 
Another highlight of the trip was the postgame scene. Again, one might expect such a lopsided score to result in uneasy circumstances. But, the exact opposite happened. Hearty handshakes and hugs were exchanged at midfield, jerseys were exchanged, and cell phones were busted out for photos. Soon, each player and coach was gathered together for a group pic. 1…2…3… Football!
 
Winning wasn't the point today. Growth was the point. Growth of the game of football as well as growth of the young men who make up the Penn Quakers. They travelled halfway around the world to a country few understood to play a game against a team they'd never seen.
 
One week later we've climbed the Great Wall, tried food we'd never heard of, seen wonders never imagined and left a mark on the next generation of global football players.
 
The experience of a lifetime.