The Jets and Giants Super Bowl hopes aren’t promising — but there’s still one local to root for.
Meet 10-year-old Harlem football star Khordae Sydnor, whose Hail Mary dream of going to Super Bowl XLVIII inched closer to goal line today when he was chosen as finalist in the NFL’s inaugural “Together We Make Football” campaign — which asked fans across the country to submit a video or essay on their love of the game.
Khordae’s video was one of ten finalists picked from over 5,000 submissions around the country. They were announced during the halftime of today’s Green Bay Packers-Detroit Lions game on FOX.
“I was jumping all over the place,” Sydnor told The Post of his reaction to the news. “I was running down the hallway. I was just hyped. I was so happy to be a finalist.”
Fans will vote on TogetherWeMakeFootball.com through December 23rd, and five of the ten finalists will score three tickets to the big game with all of the VIP trimmings.
Khordae — who plays quarterback for the Harlem Jets and led his team to the Empire League’s Super Bowl championship — has been playing ball since he saw kids playing in the park when he was only 6.
He asked his father, Tracey Sydnor to let him play. And he was hooked. When he’s not on the field, the football fanatic is watching youtube clips of his favorite player and idol, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.
“When I put on my uniform, I feel great. I feel like I am going to accomplish something, “ he said.
Khordae’s father, a single dad and special education teacher is a self taught videographer and created an emotional highlight reel of the 5th grader at the Harlem Children Zone Promise Academy II.
He mixed in his son’s impressive game clips and showed Khordae espousing the virtues of football as a means to escape his sometimes dangerous surroundings.
“I think I was chosen because I look nice. And my story was like almost sad and fun at the same time,” Kordhae said.
Khordae wants to spread the gospel of the gridiron to his neighborhood, which is more known for more for basketball than football.
“I try to persuade people to play football, but a lot of people here love basketball. I just wonder, why wouldn’t you want to play football if you have the skills. You get to achieve things.” said the burgeoning pigskin disciple.
Maybe he hasn’t yet converted his hoops obsessed hood but the league judges were sold.
“Khordae’s video jumped right out the minute we saw it,” said Keith Cossrow, an NFL Films producer. “There was no doubt that his story deserved to be among the finalists. He’s so authentic and likeable; the type of kid you want to share with the world,” Cossrow said adding that they were blown away with the amount and quality of submissions—especially the video Sydnor made.
“[Khordae] loves the game, and me as a parent, all I can do is try to create an environment for that to be cultivated,” says the elder Sydnor. “He may decide later that he wants to play the cello. But right now, it’s football.”
The cello isn’t likely, according to Khordae who wants to play quarterback at Alabama and eventually in the NFL.
But first there’s the Super Bowl in his backyard that he’s itching to attend. If he wins, he’ll take his father and younger brother, Brandon, 8. “It’s a privilege for me to do this. We [my dad and brother] worked really hard on this,” he added with a big grin.