Delaware Teen to Meet Philadelphia Eagles Wide Receiver at The Athlete's Foot in Bear
Brandon Norwood Named Regional Winner of Retailer's "In My Shoes" Contest
| Source: NexCen Brands, Inc.
BEAR, DE--(Marketwire - October 15, 2007) - 16-year-old Brandon Norwood has a passion for the
sport of football. Captain of his high school's varsity team, Brandon
hopes his skill and determination will lead him to a college career. The
scholar athlete eloquently expressed his goals in his winning entry to The Athlete's Foot (TAF)
nationwide "In My Shoes"
contest. As a result he'll be able to seek guidance from another area
athlete who has successfully transitioned from high school to college to
the professional gridiron -- Philadelphia Eagles wide
receiver Reggie Brown. The two will meet on October 23 at The Athlete's
Foot store in Bear, Delaware.
"The 'In My Shoes' contest rewards young athletes who are striving to reach
performance goals this school year. We want to encourage and motivate them
in their efforts by bringing them together with other athletes who at one
time had high aspirations and have excelled," commented Robert W. D'Loren,
President and CEO of NexCen Brands,
Inc., parent company of TAF. "The Athlete's Foot stores in communities
around the country aim to empower athletes like Brandon to achieve their
highest level of performance."
In Brandon's written essay, he shared his will to "rip through the grass of
the field, stop on a dime and tug piles from touchdown to touchdown" as his
high school team's starting running back. In addition to his individual
goals, he expressed his desire to motivate his teammates through his
dedication to the sport. A standout player on the Newark High School
football team, Brandon is determined to help his team improve its current
two-and-two record and has demonstrated his potential for being a
game-changer. He was recognized by www.DEPreps.com as a player of the week
on October 3 because of his ground attack -- he rushed for 132 yards on 27
carries. When he's not playing football, Brandon is a member of his high
school's winter and spring track and field team.
"I know that I'm really going to enjoy meeting Reggie Brown in person,"
commented Brandon when notified of his prize. "I'd like to learn more about
his college and professional football experiences, and what motivates him
on and off the field."
Brown, a graduate of Georgia, was the second round NFL draft pick in 2005.
In the first start of his rookie season with the Philadelphia Eagles, Brown
caught five passes for 94 yards and one touchdown. He went on in the
season to lead all rookies with 571 yards and was second in receptions with
43.
Brandon Norwood and Reggie Brown will meet on Tuesday, October 23, at
Brandon's local Athlete's Foot store located at 110 Fox Hunt Drive in Bear,
Delaware 19701. There, Brown will make a public appearance from 6:00 to
7:30 p.m. and will meet Brandon and present him with a gift card prize from
7:30 to 8:00 p.m.
"We are overjoyed to give Brandon, a local teen athlete, a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet Reggie Brown at our TAF store," said
Cesar Dumet, local franchisee, The Athlete's Foot. "We strive to generate
excitement about athletics within our local community and provide our
customers with the gear they need to reach their personal performance
goals."
The TAF "In My Shoes" campaign, which the retailer launched in late July,
invited students ages 13 to 18 nationwide to submit written or video (YouTube) entries stating their
performance goals for the new school year. Local winners, selected from
participating TAF stores, will receive a $75 TAF gift card.
In addition to the Bear event with Reggie Brown, nine other regional
winners have won the opportunity to meet pro athletes from their
communities, including:
-- Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis
-- Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle
-- New York Knicks forward David Lee
-- Atlanta Falcons running back Warrick Dunn
-- Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Stokley
-- Detroit Lions quarterback Jon Kitna
-- Carolina Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward
-- Houston Texans running back Ahman
Green
-- New Orleans Saints receiver Marques Colston
One national winner will have a one-on-one coaching session with one of the
hottest professional athletes in the country. The winner and athlete will
be announced by late October.
About The Athlete's Foot (www.theathletesfoot.com)
The Athlete's Foot® (TAF) is the world's first franchisor of athletic
footwear stores and is recognized today as the world leader in athletic
footwear franchising. Robert and David Lando opened the first The
Athlete's Foot store in 1971 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was the first
athletic footwear specialty store of its kind in the United States. Soon
thereafter, TAF began franchising domestically, with the first franchise
store opening in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The first international franchise
store opened in 1978 in Adelaide, Australia, the beginning of TAF's
expansion into over 45 countries. In June 2007, NexCen Brands launched a
global re-branding effort for TAF. Plans for reinvigorating the 36-year-old
brand include an innovative new modular merchandising system, new
in-store design, a modernized company logo, and a line of TAF branded
apparel.
About NexCen Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ : NEXC ) (www.nexcenbrands.com)
NexCen Brands, Inc. is the premier 21st century brand acquisition and
management company focused on assembling a diversified portfolio of
intellectual property-centric companies operating in the consumer branded
products and franchise industries. The Company owns, licenses, franchises
and markets a growing portfolio of consumer and franchise brands including
The Athlete's Foot®, Bill Blass®, MaggieMoo's®, Marble Slab
Creamery®, Pretzel Time®, Pretzelmaker® and Waverly®. The Company
licenses and franchises its brands to a network of leading retailers,
manufacturers and franchisees that includes every major segment of retail
distribution from the luxury market to the mass market in the U.S. and in
over 50 countries around the world, and consists of more than 1,500
franchised stores. NexCen, through its information technology and
franchisee support systems and advertising, marketing and public relations
team, markets its brands to continually drive greater consumer awareness
and brand equity for each of its brands. NexCen touches nearly every aspect
of a consumer's lifestyle from the food they eat to the furnishings in
their homes and the clothes and footwear they purchase.