Six NFL hall of famers in Ashtabula County

Aug. 8—HARPERSFIELD TOWNSHIP — Six of the greatest football players in the history of the National Football League were in town on Sunday morning during a wellness symposium at SPIRE Institute.

Terrell Davis, Ray Lewis, Andre Reed, Warren Sapp, Emmitt Smith and Bruce Smith were part of the panel at the event in the banquet portion of the complex.

Several high tech fitness companies sponsored the event with SPIRE Institute and the retired football players shared their ideas on health and fitness.

Dr. Harry Oken, an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland, moderated the discussion and shared thoughts on health and live longevity.

"Can 90 be the new 40?" Oken said to start his portion of the program detailing the major advances in science and technology.

He said there it is possible that people can live longer and be more healthy.

After Oken discussed a variety of health topics and the importance of a healthy diet and even discussed the health benefits of fasting the retired football players shared their ideas as well.

"it is who I am not what I do," Lewis said of his commitment to fitness that has been at the focus of his life for decades.

He said it becomes a lifestyle when people make exercise a priority and are careful decisions about what they put in their body.

Davis said staying healthy as a retired player has been simple. He said he continued his careful eating habits after retirement.

"It is a carry over," Davis said of his focus on healthy eating.

Oken discussed how fasting can slow down the aging path.

Oken and Smith said they regulate carefully the hours during which they normally eat.

"I like to eat between the hours of 12 p.m. and 7 p.m.," he said.

Emmitt Smith said he likes to get up at four or five in the morning to ride bicycle and then have egg whites and coffee before eating more later in the day.

More than 150

people attended the event sponsored by companies such as Eleve Health and 10X Health.

The guests included local athletes, governmental leaders, businessmen to name a few.

Lewis is a two-time Super Bowl champion and 13-time Pro Bowler who played for the Baltimore Ravens; Emmitt Smith played for the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals and earned three Super Bowl Championships, as well as being NFL all-time leader in rushing yards and rushing TD's; Sapp spend time with both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders and garnered one Super Bowl title with seven Pro Bowl appearances; Bruce Smith suited up for the Buffalo Bills and Washington Commanders, notching 11 Pro Bowl appearances and was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year twice; Davis played for the Denver Broncos, where he won two Super Bowls, was a three-time Pro Bowl and garnered one MVP Award and Reed played for the Buffalo Bills and Washington Commanders, recording seven Pro Bowl appearances.