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Buc's Graham Inspires Local Students
By David Dorsey
Earnest Graham stressed working hard, being good to people, making progress and practicing academic skills. Wearing his No. 34 jersey, a black Mariner High baseball cap and black sweat pants, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back spoke to a gathering of about 400 second- through fifth-graders this morning at Heights Elementary School in Fort Myers.
"He's a really good football player," said Abraham Simmons, a 9-year-old third-grader. "He worked real hard to get where he's at. You've got to set goals so you can graduate. If you believe in something, you can do it."
Simmons took the words right out of Graham's mouth. Graham, who graduated from Mariner High School in 1998 before playing at the University of Florida, spoke to the students for 20 minutes. He then answered questions and asked a few of his own before posing for photographs with all of the students, who were divided into groups.
"That would be Earnest," said Greta Campbell, a friend of Graham's mom, Sandra Smith, and a lifelong admirer of the 27-year-old. "He includes everybody. That's just the way he is." About half the students raised their hands when asked if they had seen Graham on TV on Sunday, when he rushed for 11 yards on four carries and caught a 9-yard pass in his team's 20-6 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. They all will get another opportunity to watch Graham play -- perhaps early and more often -- at 1 p.m. Sunday, when the Buccaneers play host to the New Orleans Saints in Tampa. With starting running back Cadillac Williams questionable with bruised ribs, Graham said he will prepare to get the ball more. "Your role changes week to week in the NFL," Graham said. "I've been a running back all my life. I'm going to prepare to run the football. I'm a third- and fourth-quarter back. I get going after 20 or 25 carries. I pound for a while, get going and then I do my thing. "Whatever I get this week, I'll make the most of it. I'll take advantage of any opportunity. That's the way it is in the NFL. I have no clue how many carries I'll get. But I'm going to prepare for whatever."
Graham urged the students to be prepared. He advised them to seek help from their teachers, just as he did as a child.
"When I was your age, I had people looking out for me, and I was never afraid to take their advice," Graham told them. "People here care about you. They've been where you've been before, and they want you to do well in the future. "I was very good at math, but I was not very good at Language Arts. I wanted to be good at everything. So I said to my teacher, 'I want to have an 'A.' What do I need to do to earn an 'A'?'' If you keep working at something, you'll get better at it. "Progress is very important." |
