NFL Rush Zone facts for kids

Quick facts for kids NFL Rush Zone
Season 1 title card
Genre	Action Adventure
Directed by	Rohitash Rao
Starring	Joshua Jackson Sebastion Elliot Nathaniel Stampley Zachary Appelman Amber Renae Gray Marisa Kreiss Malachi Cohen Nika Futterman Johnny Yong Bosch Ogie Banks Andy Aragon Nicolas Roye
Composer(s)	David Robidoux
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	3
No. of episodes	65 (22 short length episodes + 1 television movie + 42 full length episodes) (list of episodes)
Production
Producer(s)	Courtney Franson Cash B. Lim
Running time	approx. 2:00 – 5:30 minutes (short length episodes) 60:00 (television movie w/ commercials) approx. 22:00 minutes (regular length episode w/o commercials)
Production company(s)	Curious Pictures (season 1) Rollman Entertainment (seasons 2–3) NFL Productions
Distributor	ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks
Release
Original network	Nicktoons NFL Network
Original release	September 6, 2010 (2010-09-06) – October 22, 2014 (2014-10-22)

NFL Rush Zone is an exciting American action and adventure cartoon series. It's all about football and protecting the world!

In the first season, we meet Ish, an 11-year-old football fan. He discovers he has a very important job. He must protect special power pieces called "The Core." These pieces are hidden in all 32 NFL stadiums. The first season finished on February 5, 2011.

Then, Nickelodeon announced a second season. It was called NFL Rush Zone: Season of the Guardians and started on November 30, 2012. The third season, NFL Rush Zone: Guardians Unleashed, began on November 20, 2013, and ended on October 22, 2014. The show seemed to end with a cliffhanger, hinting at a fourth season, but it never happened.

Story Overview

Season 1 – "Guardians of the Core"

Ish has to protect the Core pieces from a bad alien robot named Sudden Death. This happens every Sunday! He also has to make sure his mom doesn't find out about his secret missions. Luckily, he gets help from OT and the Rusherz.

Season 2 – "Season of the Guardians"

One year after Sudden Death was defeated, Ish moves to Canton, Ohio. His job as a Guardian gets bigger, and he gains new powers. A new villain, Wild Card, appears. Ish teams up with his old friend Ash and new friends Troy, Tua, Marty, and Ricky. Together, they must protect the 32 Megacores of the NFL from Wild Card. They also try to learn about Wild Card's mysterious past.

Season 3 – "Guardians Unleashed"

Wild Card has been beaten, but Ish loses his Guardian powers. This is tough for him because he was the first Guardian. Meanwhile, Sudden Death returns! He brings three robot aliens called Anticorians with him. These Anticorians have always been rivals with the Rusherz. Ish soon gets his powers back, and he and his friends get even stronger. They prepare for a big fight against Sudden Death, the Anti-Corians, and even Wild Card and Drop Kick who return!

Theme Song

• "Nu Sunt" by Ncoleta Nuca (used on Univision)
• "We are the Guardians" by Forever the Sickest Kids (used on Nicktoons)

Characters

Main Heroes

• Ishmael "Ish" Taylor – Ish is a natural leader. He is funny, smart, and brave. He loves video games and football. In the first season, he lived in San Diego, California. In season two, he is 11 and lives in Canton, Ohio. He is also the captain of his football team. Ish can create a special power armor by shouting "Enter the Rush Zone!" He was the first Guardian. His favorite team is the Los Angeles Chargers. Joshua Jackson voiced him in season one, and Malachi Cohen in seasons two and three.

• Ashley "Ash" Reynolds – Ash is a tomboy who is good at sports and school. In season one, she was under Sudden Death's control. But she became friends with Ish and helped him win. In season two, Ash is 11 and wants to make up for her past. She is very smart and good with complex plays and stats. Her favorite team is the New England Patriots. Marisa Kreiss voiced her in season one, and Nika Futterman in seasons two and three.

• Troy Kang – Troy is a fun-loving and daring 11-year-old. He can be a bit quick to act, but he is very loyal. Troy is a great athlete. Being a Guardian teaches him to be a better team player. His favorite team is the New Orleans Saints. He is voiced by Johnny Yong Bosch.

• Tua Tupola – Tua is an 11-year-old from a football-loving family. He is the strong and caring member of the team. People sometimes think he's not smart because he doesn't talk much, but he is very clever. He is a fierce fighter and a great football player. His favorite team is the Chicago Bears. He is voiced by Ogie Banks.

• Martin "Marty" Stevens – Marty is an excited, fast-talking 11-year-old. He loves to play pranks and tell jokes. He is also very smart and good with computers. Marty is super agile and can dodge almost anything. His favorite team is the Cleveland Browns. He is voiced by Andy Aragon.

• Ricardo "Ricky" Cervantes – Ricky is a tough and competitive 11-year-old. He can be sarcastic at first. But he becomes a loyal friend to Ish and Ash. Ricky started as a rival and was once controlled by Wild Card. Now he works with the Guardians. He is a quarterback with an amazing arm. His favorite team is the Arizona Cardinals. He is voiced by Nicolas Roye.

Villains

• Sudden Death – In season one, he wanted to use the Core to take over the universe. He was defeated, but he promised to return. He came back in season three with a new plan. He wanted to use the Megacores to rule or destroy Earth. He is voiced by Matthew Mercer.

• The Anticorians – These are three alien humanoids who are rivals of the Rusherz. They serve Sudden Death in season three.
  • Angkoro – He is tricky and mean. He can make objects float with his Antigravity power. He wants to be Sudden Death's second-in-command. He is voiced by Cam Clarke.
  • Stellaria – She is a sleek, ninja-like female. She is smart and athletic. She can control the power of wind. She is voiced by Nika Futterman.
  • Zich – He is large, strong, and smart. He is the brains and muscle of the Anticorians. He mostly grunts, but the others understand him. He is voiced by Liam O'Brien.

• Wild Card – He is the main bad guy in season two. He wants to destroy the Guardians and the NFL. He gets angry easily and hates to lose. We learn his real name is Warren Zimmer. He was defeated in season two. He returns in season three, forced to work with Sudden Death. He later plots against Sudden Death. He is voiced by Troy Baker.

• Drop Kick – He is Wild Card's clumsy robot helper. Wild Card often gets mad at him. Drop Kick's real name is Sidekick, or RZ 1.0. He was a robot assistant to a scientist named Richard Zimmer. Drop Kick eventually betrays Wild Card but is destroyed. The Anticorians rebuild him in season three. He is voiced by Jesse Corti.

Allies

• OT as RZ – This mysterious man explains things to Ish about the Core and the Rusherz. In season two, he reveals he is a supercomputer called RZ 6.0. "OT" was just a disguise. He holds the memories of the scientist who created him, Richard Zimmer. He is voiced by Liam O'Brien.

• Shandra Taylor – She is Ish's mother. At first, she didn't know about Ish being a Guardian. Later, she found out. In season two, she and Ish's father, Lt. Matt Taylor, know about Ish's Guardian activities. She often covers for Ish when he disappears. She works as a tour guide at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

• Bolt – Bolt is the Chargers Rusher. Ish met him at a Chargers game. He is a humanoid creature with a Chargers helmet. He is voiced by Zach Appelman.

• The Gameballz – These are Ish's helpers in the first season.
  • Huddle – A golden football with laces for a mouth. He can speak Spanish.
  • Fumble – A light salmon-colored football with a green mohawk.
  • Scream – A regular football with one eye. He is the smartest and most tactical of the group.
• Other Gameballz representing NFL teams also appeared.

• BlitzBotz – These are Sudden Death's robot helpers. Their job is to collect the Core pieces. They can also turn living things into more BlitzBotz. Six Rusherz were turned into BlitzBotz but were freed when Sudden Death was defeated.

Rusherz

The Rusherz are alien beings from another planet. They look like an NFL team's logo or something from the team's history. OT says they helped create the NFL's 32 teams.

• Bolt - the Chargers' Rusher.
• Alto - the Saints' Rusher.
• Liberty - the Giants' Rusher.
• Beast - the Lions' Rusher.
• Freefall - The Seahawks' Rusher.
• Steed - the Broncos' Rusher.
• Rampage - the Rams' Rusher.
• Pack - the Packers' Rusher.
• Talon - the Falcons' Rusher.
• Freedom - the Patriots' Rusher.
• Swoop - the Eagles' Rusher.
• Stallion - the Colts' Rusher.
• Scavenger - the Ravens' Rusher.
• Blowtorch - the Steelers' Rusher.
• Peck - the Cardinals' Rusher.
• Sonar - the Dolphins' Rusher.
• Pick Ax - the 49ers' Rusher.
• Thor - the Vikings' Rusher.
• Lasso - the Cowboys' Rusher.
• Arrow Head - the Chiefs' Rusher.
• Toro - the Texans' Rusher.
• Fang - the Bengals' Rusher.
• Cyclops - the Titans Rusher
• Grizzly - The Bears' Rusher.
• Claw - the Panthers' Rusher.
• Peg Leg - the Buccaneers' Rusher.
• K-9 - the Browns' Rusher.
• Chief - the Redskins' Rusher.
• Soar - the Jets' Rusher.
• Stampede - the Bills' Rusher.
• Spot - the Jaguars' Rusher.
• Pillage - the Raiders' Rusher.

Episodes

List of NFL Rush Zone episodes