Phil Anselmo Plays Football With United Way Kids

Membership in the rock star club has its privileges, and Phil Anselmo's status as a hard rock icon has certainly benefited the lifelong football fan -- who enjoyed seeing his favorite team, the underdog New Orleans Saints, take home the Super Bowl trophy this past February.

The former Pantera frontman got to visit the Saints headquarters in March and meet the players he roots for every Sunday. He even interviewed Saints right tackle Jon Stinchcomb and tight end Jeremy Shockey for Louisiana Sunday Kickoff -- the rest of the interview will air on Anselmo's own Housecore TV -- and he got to try on the Super Bowl ring of former receiver/kick return specialist/team ambassador Mike 'Beer Man' Lewis. He got to hoist the Lombardi trophy, too! It's like a dream come true for any football fan whose team just won their first Super Bowl, and Anselmo relished every second of it.

But there is much more to it than fandom. He also got to play football with kids from the United Way and Lewis. Noisecreep spoke to Anselmo about playing with pigskin for a good cause.

"It was a complete accident and it changed my whole perspective, not that I had one, but it had me walking on cloud nine all day afterward and the next morning," Anselmo told Noisecreep about playing with the kids. "I was like, 'Wow.' I talked to Jeremy [Shockey] for a good hour, and next thing I know, I meet Michael Lewis, am holding the Lombardi trophy, checking out the ring. And Lewis says, 'Let's toss the ball,' when I see school buses of kids who end up running around me and Michael!"

Within a matter of moments, Anselmo and Lewis were opposing quarterbacks, playing with underprivileged kids, tossing smaller-than-regulation-sized balls, since Lewis works with United Way kids. "He looked at me and said, 'OK, quarterback.' And I said, 'Are you talking to me?' Since I was looking around, going, 'Who?' And he said, 'Come on! It's me against you. Go get your team.'"

Once Anselmo's team assembled, it was all fun. "My poor kids," he recalled with a laugh. "With me at QB, I'll not tell a lie ... Michael Lewis threw four TD passes and there was a kid on his team, where we were like, 'Let's see his ID. Where is his birth certificate? How old is he?' Since he was so good."

How many touchdowns did Anselmo throw for? It turns out, he tossed a big ole goose egg. "I completed two passes. And threw four interceptions," he admitted. "Had I known I was going to play football that day, I woulda brushed up on my QB skills. I played when I was younger. I can throw the rock ... don't think I can't!"

Anselmo's team lost 28 to 14, which is by no means a blow out! But the singer was still humble, saying, "We were lucky to get that one-four on the board." When all was said and done, he was happy to put smiles on the faces of those kids. "I would do that in a flash, anytime, anywhere," he said. "They were a kick in the ass. They were all young, 12 and under, who would have thought, 'Pantera who?' I kept apologizing, saying, 'Sorry kids,' and they'd come back, 'It's alright, coach. We need you man.' And I asked, 'For what? To laugh at!?'"

Anselmo also admitted he was sacked three times, once by a nine-year-old. While he is known for having a notoriously bad back, that did not deter him from gridiron good times, saying, "I am not made of china, I will still kick your ass even if my back hurts!"