ARLINGTON, Texas – It's not every day that area youth receive an opportunity to hone their football skills on the turf of AT&T Stadium.

The Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic hosted more than 200 North Texas youth, ages 11-14, during its 2019 Youth Clinic on June 18 on the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys. Coaches from college programs throughout Texas guided the youngsters thru three hours of drills, emphasizing offensive and defensive fundamentals that will prove beneficial as they advance in youth sports. The on-field activities concluded with a "Fastest Man" competition.In addition to the football drills, the event included a dance clinic led by former Kilgore College Rangerettes. More than 50 dancers performed a routine for all the participants to enjoy at the end of the clinic.

After the footballs and pom poms were put away, the fun continued when Jonathan Beasley, the Outstanding Offensive Player of the 2001 Cotton Bowl Classic, spoke to the kids. The former Kansas State quarterback guided the Wildcats to a 35-21 victory over Tennessee by throwing for two touchdowns and rushing for another. Now the offensive coordinator at Tarleton State University, Beasley has served as a member of the Youth Clinic's coaching staff the past seven years.

"About a third of our participants had never been to AT&T Stadium before Tuesday," said Rick Baker, President/Chief Executive Officer, Cotton Bowl Athletic Association. "We wanted to create a memory for these young men and women that will hopefully last a lifetime."