Barkley and Bandy Serve Up Fun Against PPA Pros in Vizzy Pro-Am
| July 11, 2023
Matt Barkley has been an NFL player for more than a decade.
Jenna Bandy is Guiness Book record holder.
The two are used to being in the spotlight, and they were again Friday night in Newport Beach, Calif. while taking part in the Vizzy Pro-Am.
Jenna Bandy is famous for her Instagram content that showcases her athleticism and personality and Matt Barkley has become a household name, even as far back as his high school playing days. However, matched up against the pros on Friday evening, the two celebrities were in a different sort of world.
“I think I showed out a little, right?” said Jenna, who finished the night by teaming up with Matt in a 2 v 1 format against PPA Tour players Jessie Irvine, Jill Braverman, and Alex Neumann.
“I think we held our own,” Matt said.
Well, it was actually Lea Jansen and Irvine who held in the first game – held a can of Vizzy in their off-hand to be specific as they defeated Jenna and Matt in a doubles match, 15-5.
Matt Barkley, who is from Newport Beach, Calif., played college football at USC. He went on to be drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013 in the fourth round and has played for the Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, the Cardinals again, the Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans, Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons and is now back with the Bills again.
Jenna Bandy has the world record for longest football throw into a target – 94 feet – from one end of a basketball court into the other basket. She is a basketball influencer on Instagram, plays countless games against strangers, and can be seen all over the internet competing in all sorts of sports. She also played basketball at Cal State Monterey Bay.
Matt teamed up with Braverman in another game and was able to beat Jenna and Irvine 14-12 in another doubles match.
“I got selfish out there,” Jenna said. “I choked, but how many times to get to be out here on a pro stage?”
Matt then played points against PPA pros Neumann and Irvine, who also played with a Vizzy can in their hand. The event finished up with a doubles match where Jenna and Matt took on just one pro.
“It’s only getting more popular,” Matt said about pickleball. “Just a great workout.”
“I love pickleball,” Jenna chorused, echoing the sentiments of the picklenation around the world. “I’m going to dink until I die!”
Vizzy is set to donate between $15,000-20,000 to charity as a thank you to Matt, Jenna, and the participating pros for coming out to support the sport and helping spread the pickleball love.
Vizzy will also sponsor pro-am events at three other PPA Tour events this year, including Atlanta at the Acrytech Open, the Denver Open, and the Baird Wealth Management Open in Cincinnati.
