Amani Toomer Heads Back To School

In 6th grade I loved Celine Dion and Matthew McConaughey. Today, half of that duo would still be legit. But regardless, at the tender age of 11, there aren't words available to describe the possibility of meeting the one person you admire most. Yesterday, a sixth grader at George G. White Middle School in NJ had the kind of day no kid forgets.

Chase entered and won the "Bring an NFL Player to Work" contest. The prize? An NFL player in the area arrives in a limo and takes the winner to school where together the two promote the importance of fitness. Chase told me of all the players he could choose, Amani Toomer of the NY Giants was the one he wanted to meet the most. Lucky for him, Amani was the player assigned to hang out with the winner.

While those two were hanging out at Chase's home, enjoying a nice breakfast (fruit) and posing for pictures, the faculty and students at the school were itching for any sign of the limo. I was hanging out in the principal's room. Well, me and John Discepolo of CBS 2 and Otis Livingston of WNBC 4. There aren't really that many spots in a middle school for people who are over five feet to stand and not get noticed or in the way.

A great prank... all of the kids were brought into the auditorium and were waiting for the arrival of Amani and Chase. Otis, being a little funny, walked in waving as if he was the man all the kids were waiting for. The place erupted into cheers; I burst into tears of laughter. It was hilarious.

After the official visit was over, Amani and I sat down to speak. I said, "Of all the times you are referred to as a role model, when you walk into a school like this and see the kind of reaction these kids have over you, does it re-emphasize the impact you have?" He responded by saying of course but then went on to say how it's amazing to him that someone whom he's never met or heard of before could be that happy to meet him. I asked him when he was in sixth grade, who would he have wanted to bring to school with him? He thought for a second, smiled and said: "Jerry Rice."

Every weekend NFL players run onto a field surrounded by tens of thousands of fans wearing their jerseys and screaming their names. I don't think that situation is intimate enough to register on a consistent basis what those players mean to little kids like Chase. It's a cool contest (going on throughout the country) and I think both sides get rewarded. The athletes are reminded (and probably warmed to know) that what they represent to young kids goes beyond big hits and scoring TD's. And the kids.. well who could forget a day like that?

I'll link to the interview once it's up.