The kids at Birmingham’s Ossie Ware Mitchell Middle School erupted into cheers this afternoon as No. 1 overall NFL draft pick Jameis Winston entered for a surprise visit.
He asked students how many of them have good grades. Some laughed. He saw it as a teaching moment, encouraging students not to laugh at students making good grades because those students may be president one day.
“Don’t be ashamed about making good grades now,” he said, adding that good grades will lead to scholarships. The Hueytown, Ala. native received a scholarship to play at Florida State University, where he helped the school win a national championship and he was named a Heisman Trophy winner.
“I went to school for free, man!” he said.
He recently signed a four-year, $23.5 million rookie contract with the Buccaneers.
He tailored a segment of his speech to make sure that male and female students understood their worth and beauty.
“I’m powerful. I am smart. I am confident. I am smart.” He told the female students to say, “I am beautiful. I am smart. I am strong. I am smart.”
“Every lady in here is beautiful,” he said. “Look in the mirror and say, ‘I’m beautiful.”’
“For my fellas say, ‘I’m the greatest,”’ he said.
“You have something unique about you. You can do anything you put your mind to,” Winston said.