Former NFL players receive free YMCA memberships for a year

Ron Smith is the director of the ExxonMobil YMCA in Baton Rouge and said he was surprised to learn just how many former NFL players are living in the Capital area.

“When we heard about it, we figured there’d be five or six,” Smith said. “But, there are an excess of 200 in and around East Baton Rouge Parish.”

Frank Pitts played in the very first Super Bowl in 1965 for the Kansas City Chiefs. He is a Southern University alum.

“He had some health problems,” said Maurice Pitts, the son of Frank Pitts. “Just talking to the doctors…instead of just a strict medicinal approach, they were talking about how exercise could help.”

Pitts now exercises at the ExxonMobil YMCA with other former players like Ken Ellis. Ellis is currently team chaplain for the LSU and Southern University football programs. He said it’s always good to have the comradery he now shares with former players at the YMCA.

“We had it in the locker room when we played and now we have it at the gym,” Ellis said.