10:23 a.m., May 12, 2009
Day 2 of the Packers Tailgate Tour is underway, and the group just finished another surprise school visit, this one at Spencer Public School with students from Kindergartners through High School.

The visit started off with a little touch of excitement as the Spencer Police and Fire Departments gave the Tailgate Tour bus a formal escort. More than 700 students and staff were on the sidewalk outside the school for what they thought was a fire drill. The surprise was very evident on all the faces as the green and gold Tailgate Tour bus pulled up.

The players proceeded to the LuCille Tack Center, the performing arts center on the school's campus, and first spoke to a very boisterous group comprised of preschool through fifth graders. The players spoke about respect and bullying, with Brady Poppinga speaking very passionately about the latter topic.

Recipients of Bystander Awards, given to good citizens at the school, were then recognized by going on stage and receiving congratulatory 'high fives' from the group.

Middle school and high school groups of students then came through the auditorium. Messages to the students in these groups included having a plan, and a backup plan, for life. They also were told to pursue a variety of passions, and to never stop learning, even after schooling is done.

Junior Josh Weier especially liked the players' mention of respect. "Respect is a key thing in life," he said. "You can mention that enough...what you give out is what you get in return."

Jerry Zanotelli, the middle and high school principal, appreciated how the players took seriously their positions as role models.

"Their messages definitely hit home," he said. "The kids do listen to them. It does make a difference and it does matter. I really liked how they told the kids to dream big...that one is important, especially with the middle school kids. They have so much ahead of them."

Another Brady Poppinga notable quote was produced, this one on describing a favorite football moment when he was blitzing the quarterback and a running back, a smaller one, tried to block him: "I ran through him like a piece of paper."

The bus rolls on to the next surprise stop.