PJ Allred, Chiefs Super Bowl Guest: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

PJ Allred cerebral palsy

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PJ Allred is a high school senior from Sedalia, Missouri, who is about to be a special guest at arguably the biggest sporting event of the year. He has been invited to Super Bowl LIV by the Kansas City Chiefs, who will face off with the San Francisco 49ers in what is their first Super Bowl appearance since 1970.

Allred was born with cerebral palsy and his story inspired the Chiefs to bring him to a regular-season game and then the Super Bowl. He is now in Miami with his family, getting ready to watch his beloved Chiefs.

Here’s what you need to know about Allred’s story.


1. Allred Was Diagnosed With Cerebral Palsy When He was 6 Months Old

Cerebral palsy is a group of movement disorders that vary from person to person but generally include poor coordination, stiff or weak muscles, tremors, and seizures. There also may be problems with vision, hearing, speaking, and swallowing.

PJ’s mom Valerie Corpe tells local CBS affiliate KRCG the doctors told her that PJ’s entire life would be very limited due to the severity of his condition.

“He was 6 months old, the same week I found out he had severe cerebral palsy,” said Corpe. “He would likely never sit, he would never stand, and likely never live past 18.”

But PJ is now 19 years old and he is able to sit, stand and even play sports.


2. Cerebral Palsy Didn’t Stop Him from Playing Football

At Smith-Cotton High School in Sedalia, PJ is a member of the Tiger football team. He came to head coach Charlie McFail as a freshman and told his future coach that he was determined to play.

“We’ve got a good relationship, I treat him like any one of the other kids,” McFail told KRCG. “If you want to be a part of this, you got to be here you got to do this work … He shows up, he gives you effort. He’s the type of kid I think coaches have seen that you wish you had that kind of effort and drive out of some other guys.”

That still didn’t mean that PJ would necessarily get to play, but he told his coach was fine with putting in the work even if he didn’t get to take the field.

But during his senior season, the Smith-Cotton team was losing badly to Hickman, so McFail put PJ in… where he scored an 80-yard rushing touchdown that was celebrated in the endzone by both his own team and his opponents.

“People don’t understand just how hard it is for him to run 80 yards and holding onto a ball the whole time, but he made it happen,” said McFail.

The video was shared on social media by KMIZ Channel 17 Sports Director Andrew Kaufmann. It went viral and earned PJ a spot on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays.


3. The Chiefs and the Dream Factory Brought PJ to a Regular Season Game For a Big Surprise

According to the Sedalia Democrat, an Allred family friend named Holly Ladd reached out to the Kansas City Chiefs through the Dream Factory, which is a “children’s wish-granting organization that does not limit its mission to children who have a life-threatening illness.” Ladd sent the tape of PJ’s touchdown to the Chiefs, who, according to his mom, “fell in love with him.”

They invited PJ and his family to a regular-season game where PJ got to meet Chiefs Hall of Fame linebacker Gary Spani, the Hunt family, who own the Chiefs, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who gave PJ a game ball. Mrs. Hunt said at the time that PJ would be their “lucky charm,” and that turned out to be quite prophetic — the Chiefs are undefeated since then.

But the big surprise was that the Chiefs wanted to send PJ and a guest to the Super Bowl, regardless of how their season played out. His mom credits the Hickman football team for this amazing year their family has had.

“This year has been a whirlwind,” Corpe tells the Sedalia Democrat. “I feel this was inspired by the selfless act of Hickman giving up a shutout record to let him run.”

Hickman coach Cedric Alvis told local station KCTV that the moment was bigger than winning and losing.

“To see the entire sideline run and sprint, even our cheerleaders, at that moment as a coach it’s like, ‘Wow!’ … The actual win was meaningless at that point. The fact that PJ got that moment and that everyone can celebrate, that was the most important thing,” said Alvis.


4. PJ Has Been Living It Up So Far in Miami

PJ and his mom and stepdad left for Miami on Wednesday, January 29 and they’ve been having a wonderful time so far, seeing some sights, going to Fan Fest and even taking part in the Quarterback Challenge and FedEx challenge.

On January 29, PJ met some of the lovely ladies who work behind the scenes at the Super Bowl — the makeup artists. And on Friday, January 31, he and his parents took a trip down to the Florida Keys for a little sightseeing. You can follow along with his Super Bowl adventures at the special Facebook page his mom set up to chronicle their trip.

But really they’re just waiting for the big game to start. PJ is a huge Chiefs fan — “I have Chiefs everything,” he told KRCG.


5. PJ Is Also Excited About the Halftime Show… Once He Figured Out Who JLo and Shakira Are

In an adorable footnote, PJ admitted to the Sedalia Democrat that he didn’t know who Jennifer Lopez or Shakira was before he found out they were the halftime performers. But he did his homework and is excited to watch them perform.

“He and Papa looked it up and he got very excited,” Corpe said about the halftime performers, adding, “PJ is looking forward to seeing the Chiefs bring home a victory.”

And he hopes all of this attention he’s getting will shine a light on his message of positivity. “Over the years, I have gotten better. You have to keep trying until you get it right. Never give up,” he told KRCG.

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