Super Bowl week was packed with events and celebrities. Schedules were tight. A forecast of icy roads and school closings squeezed itineraries.
Two former NFL athletes (Roman Gabriel III and Terence Mathis) took time to speak to about 700 high school students at the Greater Atlanta Christian school in Norcross. They spoke of struggles they overcame.
“I’m excited about being here. How about you guys? Dreams and goals in life are what it’s all about. It’s a short life. We want you to reach your full potential. We want you to go for it,” said Gabriel.
Gabriel’s father Roman Gabriel Jr. played quarterback in the NFL from 1962-77.
Gabriel said he watched his brother struggle with alcohol for 17 years. He knew that was not a life he wanted. Through working in drug and alcohol programs, he founded the Sold Out program.
“It is about selling out to your dreams and goals – it’s about a drug and alcohol abstinent life,” Gabriel said.
The video shown featured athletes and celebrities that talk about overcoming obstacles and achieving their dreams.
“I don’t come into schools to pound the kids’ heads about drugs and alcohol. We have something cognitive for them to focus on. We focus on the positive,” Gabriel said in an interview with the AJC over the phone. “What is your passion?”
Looking past where the kids are now and into the future, he tells them that the life they want requires smart decisions and positive habits carried out today.
Gabriel wants to look at the students face-to-face.
“Parents, teachers and coaches and others like us can tell them what we think is right for them, but ultimately each of those individual students have to make a decision for themselves on how they are going to deal with drugs and alcohol,” he said.
Equally important, he tells them that they can break the cycle, even if they come from a home where there is a drug or alcohol problem.
The successful Sold Out program is student driven and interactive through their platforms.
“Sometimes you need to stand alone. Sometimes you need to separate yourself from other people in order to do what’s right for you,” Mathis told GAS. “Think for yourselves.”
For more information: soldouttv@gmail.com or www.soldouttv.com
Former NFL players, Roman Gabriel III and Terence Mathis speak at the Greater Atlanta School about finding a passion and pursuing dreams. (Contributed)
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