An iconic high school football stadium in South Florida received a one-of-a-kind makeover by Nike just before Super Bowl LIV.
Unveiled three days before the big game, Nike says the renovation of Miami-Dade’s Traz Powell Stadium is one of its most sustainable projects to date.
The new and improved field features new LED and eco-friendly lighting throughout the stadium and 282,000 pounds of Nike Grind Infill, which is rubber created from recycled athletic footwear and surplus manufacturing scraps.
“It’s beautiful,” said Miami-Dade Superintendent Alberto Carvalho. “It’s environmentally-conscious, respectful of our community and it’s a fantastic way of actually recycling these old, used, beat up Nikes.”
Colorful murals created by local artists Michael Vasquez, Alejandra Estefania and Mojo decorate the stadium’s hallways and locker rooms to pay homage to the legacy of Coach Traz Powell and alumni football players.
Artist and athlete Mojo said it was a phenomenal experience to paint a mural of Coach Traz Powell on one of the locker room walls.
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“The design was to basically to show his tenacity as a coach, but also like his coaching prowess and put that in the background like a football play,” Mojo said. “I wanted something that was strong for them that’s gone get them ready for the game.”
Traz Powell Stadium has been the home field to more NFL players than any other high school facility in the country. Some of the murals honored several athletes who called the stadium home and later went on to play in the NFL.
“With the murals, that’s something that meant a lot to me,” said Miami Dolphins wide receiver Allen Hurns. “Just seeing my face on there, you know, is something that will always be here, be part of my history and things like that.”
Nike also installed magnetic gates within the brand new blue track that circles the football field to allow for precise time measurement up to the millisecond.
The makeover was celebrated with a series a football clinics and panels featuring NFL athletes throughout the Super Bowl weekend.
