The National Football League is inviting 7,500 vaccinated health care workers to be among the 22,000 fans in attendance at Super Bowl LV next month, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Friday.
“I am the son of a nurse and all of you have a very special place in my heart,” Goodell said during a surprise video conference with health care workers at Sarasota Memorial Hospital in Florida. “I’ve seen the work that you do. My mom used to talk about it all day. It’s just extraordinary work and and we owe you our ongoing gratitude.”
“I want to personally invite each member of your team … to be our guest at the Super Bowl,” Goodell then told the excited hospital workers, some wiping away tears.
The NFL made the decision “following discussions with public health officials, including the CDC, the Florida Department of Health, and area hospitals and health care systems,” according to a press release.
