NFL Players Encourage Students to Dream Big

Roddy White, WR for the Atlanta Falcons, helps students navigate through their new calculators.

A few APS students recently had the opportunity to walk the halls and hit the field with a football all-star. Roddy White, wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons, was a Raider for a day. On Tuesday, September 25^th the NFL standout visited Benjamin E. Mays High School to promote the “Trust your Power” campaign.

Duracell and the NFL have teamed up to help young people realize the power they possess to make their dreams a reality. As a part of the program, a host of NFL players will be going around the country to donate equipment and inspire students to overcome any circumstance in their lives to achieve greatness.

“I’m trying to get kids to trust their power, believe in themselves, and focus on getting better in life. I want them to understand that adversity comes in life and you have to find ways to get through it,” White explained.

During the day White visited classrooms, distributed calculators to students, and had a few students solve math problems using his statistics from the field. During White’s Raider experience he also spent time practicing cheers with the cheerleading squad, marching across the field with the drumline, and running drills with the football team after school.

White solves a few football math problems with students.

White proudly sported his Mays football jersey adorned with the number 84. As he spoke with students he encouraged them to reach for their dreams, believe in themselves, and have total confidence in all that they do in life.

“He’s a major athlete and for him to come down and work with high school students, it really means a lot to every single one of us,” said Senior, Jordan Carter. “To me trust your power means that as I go forward I will trust myself because if I don’t, no one else will.”

White learns how to march to a different beat on the field.