Miami Dolphins fans got a surprise recently. Mary Crippen, a diehard Dolphins‘ superfan, was cheering for Atlanta Falcons’ Bijan Robinson at his huge book fair, leaving fans wondering about loyalty versus admiration.

“Falcons player. Dolphins fan. Different teams, same love & respect.” This is what post Miami teacher and Dolphins superfan Mary Crippen, who goes by the name maryisbananas, dropped on her IG after she attended Bijan Robinson’s literacy event in Atlanta.

For someone who has built her brand around third-grade lesson plans tied to the Dolphins, this reads almost like a betrayal. Yet, what came through was respect, as she wrote, “Big love to @bijan_robinson! Keep shining on & off the field! It’s way more than the X’s and O’s.”

The moment itself had all the “stars aligned” energy as Crippen mentioned in yet another of her posts. She was invited to Mercedes-Benz Stadium on September 22, 2025, to witness Robinson’s “Bijan Reads” book fair with 7,500 Atlanta Public School students. For her, this moment carried immense significance. “Funny enough, he was actually my #1 fantasy football draft pick this season 😌😌. Talk about full circle!” she posted. When the Miami Dolphins educator thanked Robinson and his partner Paige Cooper for including her, the moment marked shared values across fan lines.

That is where the crossover happens. Mary Crippen is not just a fan. Rather, she is the creator of “NFeLementary,” a viral teaching curriculum that brings together geography, writing, and statistics lessons through NFL storylines.

And, her classes draft teams, negotiate trades, and learn life skills through wins and losses. When she previously commented, “The literacy gap in grades 1–3 is REAL…seeing 7,500 students light up over the joy of reading reminded me why this work MATTERS,” she was putting forth her observation as an educator who knows just how critical these moments are.

Of course, Dolphins fans on X didn’t let her off easy. One of them jabbed strongly, “Exposing students to the Miami Dolphins is child abuse.” Meanwhile, yet another reassured her that Miami had “a big stat-padding win coming next week.” But this doesn’t mean that she is switching teams. Instead, she recognizes that some work transcends the field and team loyalty. So, the bigger picture here is that both Crippen and Robinson are building something that goes beyond the scoreboard.

Bijan Robinson’s game-changing book fair

On September 22, 2025, Mercedes-Benz Stadium switched from the usual roar of football fans. Instead, there was a buzz of elementary students from Atlanta Public Schools.

And they were not there for a Falcons game, but for books. Bijan Robinson’s “Bijan Reads” book fair brought the playing surface to life with rows of titles. This included Clifford the Big Red Dog, Captain Underpants, and Be You by Peter H. Reynolds.

Amidst the event, each student left with a clear bag packed with three hardcover books, a literacy guide, and supplies, as it totaled 22,500 books permanently gifted.

For Robinson, the initiative hit close to home. “I knew I was trying to better myself, and I didn’t care who judged me,” he said, as he nostalgically took to reflecting on his own childhood struggles with reading. He gave a poignant line of advice to the children: “Just pick up a book…You have to start somewhere.”

There was a host of sponsors like Scholastic, the Alliance Theatre, and the Rollins Center for Language & Learning. In doing so, the program brought together celebrity impact with expert-driven programming. It had storytelling sessions and performances to make it an exciting event for children.

And, as fans know book fair is only one piece of Robinson’s growing off-field legacy. Since he launched his foundation in 2023, he has helped build 175 Little Free Libraries nationwide, while donating $300,000 to long-term housing in Austin. He has packed thousands of weekend meal kits for food-insecure youth in Atlanta.

Meanwhile, he has also posted 239 rushing yards and 164 receiving yards through three weeks of the Falcons’ 2025 season. But his bigger numbers come from the community. As he put it: “This moment is bigger than everything.”