KANSAS CITY, Kan. — As the Kansas City Chiefs prepared for their third consecutive Super Bowl appearance, one of their players turned his attention to an entirely different kind of competition involving a young puppy.
Defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi and his girlfriend, Nani Hinton, visited The Humane Society of Greater Kansas City in October to train a four-month-old mixed breed named Parsnip for his debut in Puppy Bowl XXI. “I’m his coach. I am putting him through rigorous training,” Nnadi shared. He emphasized the potential he saw in the puppy, stating, “It’s a process; he’s a young pup with a lot of raw potential, but he’s going to be a star.”
Since its inception in 2005, the Puppy Bowl has served as an entertaining alternative to the Super Bowl while also raising awareness for pet adoption. The event showcases over 100 dogs from various shelters and rescue organizations across the nation. Their objective is simple: score touchdowns on a miniature football field by crossing a goal line with a toy.
Parsnip, who arrived at the Humane Society in August, came with a broken leg. Sydney Mollentine, president and CEO of The Humane Society of Greater Kansas City, noted in October that he had been in foster care for roughly eight weeks to heal. “Parsnip is a sweet little pup,” Mollentine stated. “As you can tell, he has no problems running around and working on that leg.”
Nnadi pointed out the playful distraction that made training challenging for the puppy. “You will see one little squirrel, he’s gone. He sees a toy, he’s gone. If he spots multiple people, he’s off,” he remarked affectionately calling Parsnip “Parsnickety.” However, he is optimistic that once Parsnip focuses, he is destined for greatness.
The Puppy Bowl is filmed ahead of schedule, and since that time, Mollentine revealed that Parsnip has found his forever home. Now at seven months old, Parsnip’s journey has taken a happy turn.
Through his efforts over the past few years, Nnadi has been instrumental in facilitating the adoption of over 500 dogs in the Kansas City area by covering their adoption fees. He has collaborated with organizations like The Humane Society and KC Pet Project, showcasing his commitment to finding loving homes for pets. “I think it’s very important for a lot of these dogs that don’t really see or have an opportunity to have a forever home,” he explained.
Nnadi’s passion for helping animals sparked when he adopted his first dog, Rocky. He described Rocky as timid and shared that he was uncomfortable with his living conditions. Nnadi reflected on that experience, stating, “It made me really kind of empathize with how many dogs go through challenges just trying to survive.” He invested time and effort to help Rocky blossom into the cheerful dog he is now.
“I feel like everybody needs at least one furry friend in their life,” Nnadi added. Mollentine expressed her gratitude for Nnadi’s unwavering support in promoting adoptions at the Humane Society, which has been serving the community since 1912.
The much-anticipated Puppy Bowl XXI is set to air on Sunday at 2 p.m. EST on Animal Planet, just hours before Nnadi competes in Super Bowl LIX with his teammates on the field.
