Schools

VIDEO: Former NFL Pro, Author Encourages Wheaton Students to Read

Former Atlanta Falcons player and New York Times' bestselling author Tim Green spoke to Monroe Middle School students in Wheaton Thursday about the importance of reading 20 minutes a day, kindness and hard work.

Monroe Middle School students Thursday heard from author and former NFL star Tim Green about the importance of hard work.

Green, author of Unstoppable, a New York Times bestseller about a foster child who dreams of one day playing for the NFL, read students the first chapter of his book Thursday, before talking to them about what it takes to achieve their dreams, and the importance of education, hard work and good character.

As a kid, Green said he loved books. He had two things he loved: Football and books.

Find out what's happening in Wheatonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"I loved sports and I played every sport... I loved football because I liked to knock people down.

"When I was young, I had this instinct... I just, you know, would be walking down the hallway in school and would just feel like, 'wow, wouldn't be great if I just knocked this—not even somebody I didn't like—just, anybody."

Find out what's happening in Wheatonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

But he knew better.

Enter football: "Not only can you knock people down—you're supposed to knock people down. And if you smash them, it's a good thing!"

As much as he loved football, he loved books.

"I loved books. Books, for me, were magical... They took me away to another time and another place," he said.

He told students their education is more important than sports, and encouraged them to integrate 20 minutes of reading into their daily routine, as kids who read perform better in school.

Green, who now lives in upstate New York, was the first round draft pick by the Atlanta Falcons in 1986. While playing in the NFL, Green went to law school and started writing. When he retired in 1994, he had published his first book and began work as a broadcaster for FOX NFL Sunday and other shows including Good Morning America and Court TV.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here