At California Memorial Stadium, fans are always rooting for a blue and gold win — especially against the team wearing red and white. On Thursday night, however, the teams bearing those colors looked a little different as they were made up of professional athletes, rappers and influencers.
Cal Athletics hosted Celebrity Sweat’s 26th annual Celebrity Flag Football Challenge with team captains hip-hop king Quavo and hoops legend Dwight Howard. Other players included UFC decorated Justin Gaethje, content creator Katie Feeney, rapper NLE Choppa and streamer RAY, among others.
Perhaps one of the most memorable highlights of the night came with the return of former Cal and current Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen. Allen — who suited up for Cal from 2010-12 — leads the Bears in all-time receptions with 205. This time, though, he donned a different blue and gold jersey than his time with the Bears and Chargers.
Allen recounted the nostalgia of being back at Berkeley, stating that he had the chance to visit many places that brought back memories, including a small area of popular restaurants on Berkeley’s Southside, locally known as the “Asian Ghetto.”
“It feels great,” Allen said. “Being back at the old stomping grounds is great.”
The overall goal of the night was to have fun and support first responders and military service members, which is Celebrity Sweat’s mission.
Given Celebrity Sweat’s philanthropic aspirations, athletes contended that their flag football performances were bigger than simply showcasing their competitive nature. However, quite a few including Allen came onto the field with several athletic accolades under their belts.
One of which was Las Vegas Aces’ guard Jewell Loyd. The 3-time WNBA champion was on the roster for Howard’s team, trading her court shoes for a pair of cleats.
“Anytime I (can) come out and support my friends and family … means a lot,” Loyd said. “As well as serving the community, and that’s what we’re here to do today.”
Celebrity Sweat hosts about six events each year ranging from Celebrity Poker Nights to Celebrity Slam Jam. To achieve the organization’s goal of supporting first responders and military service members, it leverages the star power of celebrities and influencers to help make a meaningful change.
Many of the celebrities in attendance have participated in the events numerous times, including Gaethje, Quavo, NLE Choppa and former NFL quarterback and hall of famer Doug Flutie. Gaethje, who just won the UFC Interim Lightweight Championship at UFC 324, has worked with Celebrity Sweat for three years.
“I love their mission the most,” Gaethje said. “I didn’t serve. I would have loved to, but I took a different path. So the fact my name can help people that do serve and make that sacrifice, then I want to use my name as much as possible.”
While Gaethje didn’t play due to his recent fight, it was clear the players who did were in good spirits and messing around with each other.
Friendly banter permeated the event, as both teams showcased their athleticism. Every flagpull was met with a high five or hug before the players locked back in to score touchdowns.
“We got people from all different walks of life,” Roscoe Dash said. “Honestly, (what) we talked about in the locker room was it not feeling like work.”
Halftime was met with a tug-of-war match between the fire department and police departments, eliciting jeers and laughs from across the stadium. And several competitions, such as 40-yard dashes between people in a carrot, corn and strawberry costume took place between fans.
The honorary MVP of the night regarding touchdowns was Savannah Banana player Kyle Jackson. Although he plays professional baseball and stated he was only “bringing good vibes” as his skill, he scored six touchdowns for Quavo’s team, heavily contributing to its 82-67 win.
Quavo — in a nod to his high school football days — also boasted a strong throwing arm, with several long shots downfield. He was awarded the MVP belt at the end of the night, graciously accepting it and giving the spotlight to his star-studded team.
“It wasn’t me, it was my team,” Quavo said to end the night.
Both teams came ready to succeed, but the night was ultimately centered on having fun while supporting a charity.
Cal students were packed as close as possible to the edge of the rail, trying to catch the attention of celebrities they would otherwise never get the chance to meet. The crowd grew even louder as familiar names such as big-time alumni Allen appeared, whose presence drew sustained attention in Bear Territory.