3rd Grade Teacher Hosts a Mock NFL Draft for Students. She Says It Has ‘Transformed My Classroom’ (Exclusive)

Mary Crippen’s love of football runs deep, but it wasn’t always that way.

Growing up in Miami with two older brothers, the sport was everywhere — on TV, at family trips to University of Miami games and in her own athletic pursuits. “At that stage, I wouldn’t say I was passionate about football,” she tells PEOPLE exclusively. “But I knew the game well because I was surrounded by it.”

Her relationship with the game shifted in college. At Florida State University, Crippen joined her sorority’s flag football team and later competed on the school’s coed national team in the flag football college championships. One of her coaches, a former Seminole who was drafted into the NFL, became the spark.

“I remember turning on the TV to watch him play and realizing how much I wanted to follow the game for myself,” she says.

That spark only grew stronger after she met her husband, Thomas, six years ago. A diehard Dolphins fan, he introduced her to Sundays filled with tailgates, friends and games. Soon, Crippen, now a teacher, found herself keeping up the way she once had with her brothers — only this time, her passion for the Dolphins truly took off.

That broader perspective fuels her classroom, where a family tradition turned into a teaching tool. Back in 1999, her mother — also a teacher — created her own NFL draft to motivate students, and Crippen never forgot it. “I knew that when I became a teacher, I wanted to bring sports into my classroom, too,” she says.

Today, Crippen teaches third grade at Pinecrest Elementary in Miami-Dade County Public Schools, where she has adapted her mother’s idea into her own program, which she calls NFeLementary.

“When I first started doing the Dolphins in my classroom, one of my students’ parents jokingly suggested [the name], and I thought, ‘Wait a second — that’s brilliant,’ ” she says. “I went home, told my husband, and it stuck. So while I can’t take credit for inventing the name, I can proudly say it’s mine now. It’s trademarked!”

But her program didn’t start at its full scale. After moving from kindergarten to third grade, a full draft felt too ambitious, so Crippen began by tracking the Dolphins’ wins and losses with her students. But those Monday morning conversations quickly became a highlight of the week.

“The first time I tried it, I was blown away. I didn’t expect the kids to connect so deeply to teams they didn’t know anything about,” she says. “They found connections through mascots, colors, cities or even just how cool a name sounded.”

“The surprise for me was how much I learned about my students just by watching and listening to their choices and trades,” she adds. “I got to see their personalities shine in ways that never would’ve come out in a traditional icebreaker. It showed me this wasn’t just about football — it was about building relationships and creating excitement for learning.”

Encouraged, she expanded the program the following year.

A Dolphins beat reporter suggested tracking Tyreek Hill’s receiving yards, and the students loved it — making predictions, analyzing data and diving into the game. When the Dolphins made the playoffs, their interest grew even more. They wanted to follow every team. That’s when Crippen realized the project had outgrown Miami.

At first, a full draft project felt overwhelming, but breaking it down step by step helped. Once the kids drafted their teams, decorated their helmets, and began researching, everything came alive. She’s now in her fourth year using football in the classroom and her second year running it as NFeLementary.

“Their thirst for knowledge showed me it could really work,” she says.

“Draft Day,” she explains, is magic. Most of her students have no idea what they’re walking into. She doesn’t prep them ahead of time because she wants them to go with their gut. She lays out the teams anonymously, and one by one, they pick.

Then comes the trading. Students walk around the room negotiating — learning how to ask politely, how to accept a “no,” and how to trade respectfully. Crippen says she’s heard things like, “Oh, I was born in California, I want the 49ers,” or “The Panthers’ helmet is blue and blue’s my favorite color,” or “I love tigers, so I want the Bengals.”

By the end of Draft Day, every student has had a conversation with every other student. They’ve laughed, traded and connected over colors, mascots, cities and states. On the very first day of school, they’ve already built a team culture together.

“The draft has completely transformed my classroom,” she says. “On day one, when kids are up trading and negotiating, every single student is talking to every other student — naturally. It’s not forced, it’s not a structured icebreaker. They’re in the driver’s seat, learning how to connect.”

“And that community doesn’t stop after day one,” she adds. “By the 10th day of school, my students were out at recess playing a huge football game together — something they never would’ve done on the first day. And honestly, it’s often my girls leading the charge. That community, that little ‘locker room’ feel, carries into everything: how they cheer for one another, how they collaborate in academics, how they treat each other. The draft builds a culture, not just a project.”

She says parents love it, too. They get just as excited as the kids. One of Crippen’s favorite moments was this year — on the very first day of school, a student showed up with a Post-it note his dad had given him. It was his dad’s ‘power rankings’ for the draft! The kid ended up picking the Broncos, which were #5 on the list, and he was so proud.

“I loved that his dad was already so invested — it becomes a family thing, not just a classroom thing,” she says.

Beyond the fun, Crippen says her students are learning so much. That’s the whole heart of NFeLementary — bringing learning to life. Academically, they’re researching, writing, analyzing data, making predictions, learning geography, time zones, mileage and math. They’re on computers, learning how to conduct proper research, and applying it in ways that stick.

But Crippen’s favorite part? The life lessons.

“They’re learning how to win and lose with grace, how to face adversity, how to pick each other up, how to keep pushing forward when things get tough. They’re learning that there are no shortcuts in life, and hard work is the only way. Those are lessons they’ll carry far beyond my classroom.”

“It’s a lot! I won’t lie — my brain is go-go-go all the time,” she adds. “I do most of the heavy lifting in the summer, getting binders ready and planning lessons. Now that I’ve been doing this for a while, it feels like second nature, but it still takes a ton of thought. The difference is, I love it. It doesn’t feel like work — it feels fun.”

Once she started sharing on social media, teachers from across the country reached out, eager to bring the same magic to their classrooms. Crippen and her mom worked hard to copyright the curriculum, trademark the name and package it so others could use it.

The Starter Pack includes everything she uses to kick off the year: binders, research sheets, templates and more. But the best part is the private Facebook group for enrolled teachers, where they collaborate — sharing classroom setups, strategies and even weekly spins on lessons.

Crippen has hosted professional development sessions, walked teachers through how to run their drafts and continues to exchange ideas. Many teachers say it has reignited their passion for teaching — and that, she admits, is what makes her proudest.

“It’s already grown far beyond my classroom,” she says. “Over 200 teachers are officially enrolled, and thousands of students are experiencing it. My mom and I are continuing to expand — building resources for primary grades, high school and intervention groups.”

Crippen emphasizes the flexibility of the program. For instance, she says, some teachers just start with the Super Bowl or the playoffs. Others dive in from the first day of the NFL season. The curriculum is designed so teachers can tailor it to their teaching style, schedule and kids.

“I want every teacher, no matter the grade or subject, to have a way to bring the NFL into their classroom if they want to,” she adds. “I hope to see this continue to grow and that I can continue sharing my passion with the world.”

“Teachers tell me it’s helped them bring their ‘why’ back to the classroom,” she says. “Parents tell me it’s changed their child’s life. Students tell me they can’t wait to come to school. And I still keep in touch with former students and families — that’s how deep these connections go. Honestly, if only they knew how much it’s changed my life, too.”