CANTON, Ohio — Passing on a legacy of greatness. That is what former Atlanta Falcons wide receiver and specialist Devin Hester wanted to achieve when he took a group of young athletes to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“A lot of problems I see with younger kids, they get a taste of success and they lose the value that made them so good at what they’re doing,” Hester told Channel 2′s Candace McCowan.
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Hester treated six Therrell High School students, three tackle football players and three girl flag football players, to a trip to Canton, Ohio, where they got to learn from the best.
“To learn the history of football, what other place to go besides to the HOF museum?” Hester said.
The Atlanta Falcons and Delta Air Lines sponsored the trip in celebration in Black History Month. Hester took the standout high schoolers on a trip where they could ask all of the questions about how to fully realize their potential.
“There was one girl who had a ton of questions. She was just like a sponge. Everything they were explaining to her, she was just soaking it in,” Hester said. “It was a great opportunity to sit down and talk to her, because she really really took it seriously, she learned a lot.”
For Hester, it was a moment to acknowledge those who have poured into him.
“I had a guy that, you guys know, you know Deion Sanders who mentored me from college football all the way through the NFL,” he said.
Hester wants to pass on that legacy to those who are coming up behind him and give these students a chance to understand the history and the shoulders they stand on.
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