“I’ve got mine, please get yours.”

The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) and the Bruno Event Team hope that message from football players at 13 Alabama colleges and universities – combined with the new Kick COVID-19 program – resonates with Alabamians.

The new Kick Covid-19 campaign encourages residents statewide to get vaccinated, with messaging from football players from 13 Alabama colleges and universities. (Getty Images)

Gene Hallman, president and CEO of the Bruno Event Team, said that teaming with ADPH makes sense: “We all know about our love of college football in the state of Alabama. This is the best football in the country, so why not use this platform? … These athletes will be communicating various messages around ‘get your vaccination.’”

Hallman congratulated ADPH and State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris for their commitment to getting Alabamians vaccinated. The Kick COVID-19 campaign is an ADPH initiative aimed at continuing Alabama’s vaccine momentum. The idea is for football players from Alabama colleges and universities to spread the message that people need to be vaccinated.

So far, these football players are taking part: University of Alabama outside linebacker Will Anderson, wide receiver John Metchie, kicker Will Reichard and wide receiver Slade Bolden (two or three more University of Alabama players are expected to commit to the program); Auburn University quarterback Bo Nix, linebacker Owen Pappoe and placekicker Anders Carlson; Alabama A&M quarterback Aqeel Glass; and Samford University All-Conference tight end Michael Vice.

Hallman thinks the Kick COVID-19 campaign will be a winner, considering that the University of Alabama, UAB and Alabama are winners in high-stakes conferences and national championships. Players will receive a nominal fee, as approved by the NIL – names, images or likeness – ruling that allows athletes to earn money through social media, autographs, teaching camps or lessons, and other entities.

All the players are very excited to help with the new “vaccine uptake campaign,” Hallman said.

“We were very clear from the outset, ‘Have you been vaccinated? Do you have a very pro-vaccine stance?” Hallman said. “If you do, then we can talk about the business deal. And we’ve done that. All the athletes that we have are very sincere, very authentic in their beliefs. We decided to use the NIL for that reason. … Frankly, in the grand scheme of things, they are nominal amounts.”

The athletes will post messages encouraging vaccination on their personal social media platforms, in digital ads, public service announcements on TV statewide and other avenues.

Hallman noted that the athletes are doing this to help keep their communities safe and to communicate to their fellow students, “We’ve done the research. We know it’s safe. If you’re in doubt, please do your own research.”

The program starts with kickcovid19.com, which will highlight one game from 13 Alabama colleges and universities that play at the Football Bowl Subdivision or the Football Championship Subdivision levels. At the site, fans can see the schedule where each school will provide the on-site vaccinations during a five- to six-week time frame. Each school has a home game in which fans can receive a free COVID vaccine by a medical professional. In some cases, fans can also be vaccinated the day before and the day after the game.

Participating colleges are Alabama A&M, Alabama State University, the University of Alabama, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Auburn University, Jacksonville State University, Miles College, University of North Alabama, Samford University, University of South Alabama, Troy University, Tuskegee University and the University of West Alabama. Each school will host an on-site vaccine clinic.

To thank people for helping make communities safer, those who receive their first dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines will receive a $75 gift card to the bookstore of the university hosting the home game. Fans can use the card to buy apparel, such as a T-shirt or hat. Those who get their first shot 14 days before the game may upload the information to kickcovid19.com, where they will get a voucher to bring to the game and receive the $75 gift card.

ADPH wants more residents to get vaccinated

Harris said it’s the right time for Kick COVID-19, as the numbers of COVID-19 cases have remained static since last week. In the past seven days, 20,687 new cases of COVID-19 were reported. So far in 2021, the state has seen 5,151 deaths.

The Kick COVID-19 campaign aims to encourage people to get  vaccinated. (Getty Images)

Harris is very encouraged at the significant increase in people getting vaccinated: At least 2.3 million people have received at least one shot.

“Alabama is one of the top five or six states in the country in terms of percentage of increase in people getting vaccinated,” he said. “We still have a long way to go, but at least 2.3 million people in the state have received at least one shot. … We are very pleased to see that.”

More than 1,400 locations statewide offer free vaccines. While boosters are not yet FDA approved, Alabama continues to roll out monoclonal antibody sites for infected people, or for those who have been exposed and are at high risk for serious illness. Monoclonal antibodies have been shipped to more than 50 providers at 200 locations statewide.

The messaging is increasingly important, Harris said, to help keep young people safe and to be able to enjoy the upcoming football season that means so much to Alabamians. Because of the pandemic, he noted, the home field advantage – a stadium packed with fans – was missing last year.

“We all know that delta is impacting young people far more than alpha was,” he said. “This message is directed at students, but also at fans because this year many league conferences have changed the rules that, if you don’t have the requisite number of players on your squad at kickoff, you forfeit the game. It’s not postponed this year, you forfeit. At the end of the day, these players are like, ‘Please help us. We don’t want to get in a situation where our team gets infected, even those who may be vaccinated, and have to forfeit a game.

“We have a very good opportunity here to make this a very successful program,” Harris said.