It’s called NFeLementary and her students have learned all about the 12s and Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold’s resiliency.
MIAMI — A third-grade classroom in South Florida is going viral after a creative lesson centered on the Seattle Seahawks captured the attention of football fans across the country.
At Pinecrest Elementary School in Miami, teacher Mary Crippen has turned football into a teaching tool through a project she calls NFeLementary. It’s a classroom curriculum that blends math, geography, science and social-emotional learning with the NFL.
“I started actually in first grade, and then I moved down to kindergarten, and then moved up to third grade, and I love third grade,” Crippen said. “I loved my time with the little ones, but there’s just something special about this age group.”
Crippen teaches with Miami-Dade County Public Schools and says the idea behind NFeLementary was inspired by her mother, who was also an educator.
“NFL Elementary actually started in 1999 with my mom,” Crippen said. “She created it in her classroom. She taught fifth grade for 38 years at a school close by to where I teach. She had a couple boys that were very reluctant to do their math homework. So she said, ‘You’re going to do this math homework one way or the other.’ And that’s when she started incorporating football.”
What began as a classroom project has now reached a much larger audience after a recent Instagram Reel showing Crippen’s Seahawks lesson went viral. In the video, students enthusiastically react as they learn about the team, its fan base and key moments in franchise history.
Crippen said the Seahawks and their fans, known as the 12s, stood out as a powerful teaching example.
“The 12s hold a little special place in my heart because my brother has a best friend who works for the Seahawks,” she said. “So we always have a little special place in our heart for the Seahawks.”
The lesson included learning about the Beast Quake playoff game, the science behind earthquakes and the unique decision by the Seattle Seahawks to retire the No. 12 jersey in honor of their fans.
Crippen said those moments helped broaden her students’ understanding of geography and community, especially since earthquakes are not something they experience in South Florida.
Beyond football facts, Crippen said the curriculum emphasizes resilience and belonging, themes her students connected with deeply.
“Sometimes it takes a while to find where you belong, and we always think that we need to try to fit ourselves into places that maybe we don’t fit,” she said. “And it’s OK if you don’t fit right. You just have to keep finding the place that’s for you, because there is a place for everyone.”
Each student in Crippen’s class drafts an NFL team at the start of the school year, following a classroom “draft” and trade process. One student who selected the Seahawks, she said, experienced a noticeable boost in confidence as the season progressed.
“He constantly like, ‘Miss Crippen, we started at the bottom,’” Crippen said. “And I’m like, ‘Yes, you did.’ And now you’ve watched your team work their way back up. It didn’t happen overnight. It took time and it took progress.”
Crippen said moments like that are why she continues to build lessons around sports, not just to teach academics, but to help students understand perseverance and growth.
What started as a lesson plan has now sparked conversations far beyond the classroom, with thousands engaging online. And for Crippen’s students, she said, the excitement is only growing as the NFL season continues.