Dallas Cowboys relish chance to give back
by Calvin Watkins
When a Pro Bowl strong safety throws you a black shirt with NFL and Home Depot logos on it and tells you to get to work, you tear off that dress shirt and move.
Besides, Roy Williams still tackles hard.
Tuesday is supposed to be a day of rest for NFL players.
Several Cowboys players were working. Not at Valley Ranch, the team's practice facility, or even in a weight room, but working on helping people.
There was Williams around noon planting grass sods, shoveling cement and helping build a goal post at A+ Academy, a charter school on Rylie Road in Dallas.
Williams was one of more than 100 volunteers from Home Depot helping refurbish the football field, which consisted of some dirt and grass.
Today with its new bleachers, fresh paint job and shiny new goal post, A+ Academy's football team can be proud of its new field.
"I'm blessed and fortunate to be a part of this," Williams said. "I would never turn down an opportunity to help kids and be a part of the community. This is one of many things God keeps putting into my lap."
Williams is one of several NFL players who are part of a program designed to refurbish football fields and playgrounds across the country. Home Depot donates $50,000 for the fields and $1,000 to the player's favorite charity.
For Williams, this is almost as important as football.
So, when a reporter asks questions about what's going on in his life, Williams directs him to do something more important.
"Football is just a stepping stone to where I want to be," Williams said. "Football is not going to last my whole life. Football is just a phase of my life. That's what it is. I love football, and I appreciate everything Jerry Jones has done for me. But I don't put football on a pedestal above people."
While Williams was fixing a football field, other Cowboys, along with more than 30 volunteers from Bank of America, were at Texas Stadium building frames for homes for Habitat for Humanity.
"It's always good to do this," inside linebacker Bradie James said. "You hear people say giving back to the community, but this is actual sweat equity. You get to see what you're doing, and you see the family you're helping."
On Tuesday morning, the Cowboys' most popular children's author, Terrell Owens, was reading to third- and fourth- graders at Woodland Springs Elementary in Keller. Owens' book, Little T Learns To Share, sold 10,000 copies last year and is in its second printing.
After reading the book, Owens moved to Grapevine Mills Mall for a two-hour book signing.
"The main goal is to encourage kids to read and learn about life's lessons," Owens said.
"I've been a person who's learned from some of the mistakes I've made."
Tuesday is a mandatory day off for NFL players, but they still go to work helping out in their communities.
"I think across the league, we as athletes, we cherish our moments with days off," Owens said.
"But if that's the only day we can give back, besides playing on Sundays and giving the fans something to watch and cheer about, then that's great. This is a chance for me to give back to the kids, and I have a place in my heart for kids."
When a Pro Bowl strong safety throws you a black shirt with NFL and Home Depot logos on it and tells you to get to work, you tear off that dress shirt and move.
Besides, Roy Williams still tackles hard.
Tuesday is supposed to be a day of rest for NFL players.
Several Cowboys players were working. Not at Valley Ranch, the team's practice facility, or even in a weight room, but working on helping people.
There was Williams around noon planting grass sods, shoveling cement and helping build a goal post at A+ Academy, a charter school on Rylie Road in Dallas.
Williams was one of more than 100 volunteers from Home Depot helping refurbish the football field, which consisted of some dirt and grass.
Today with its new bleachers, fresh paint job and shiny new goal post, A+ Academy's football team can be proud of its new field.
"I'm blessed and fortunate to be a part of this," Williams said. "I would never turn down an opportunity to help kids and be a part of the community. This is one of many things God keeps putting into my lap."
Williams is one of several NFL players who are part of a program designed to refurbish football fields and playgrounds across the country. Home Depot donates $50,000 for the fields and $1,000 to the player's favorite charity.
For Williams, this is almost as important as football.
So, when a reporter asks questions about what's going on in his life, Williams directs him to do something more important.
"Football is just a stepping stone to where I want to be," Williams said. "Football is not going to last my whole life. Football is just a phase of my life. That's what it is. I love football, and I appreciate everything Jerry Jones has done for me. But I don't put football on a pedestal above people."
While Williams was fixing a football field, other Cowboys, along with more than 30 volunteers from Bank of America, were at Texas Stadium building frames for homes for Habitat for Humanity.
"It's always good to do this," inside linebacker Bradie James said. "You hear people say giving back to the community, but this is actual sweat equity. You get to see what you're doing, and you see the family you're helping."
On Tuesday morning, the Cowboys' most popular children's author, Terrell Owens, was reading to third- and fourth- graders at Woodland Springs Elementary in Keller. Owens' book, Little T Learns To Share, sold 10,000 copies last year and is in its second printing.
After reading the book, Owens moved to Grapevine Mills Mall for a two-hour book signing.
"The main goal is to encourage kids to read and learn about life's lessons," Owens said.
"I've been a person who's learned from some of the mistakes I've made."
Tuesday is a mandatory day off for NFL players, but they still go to work helping out in their communities.
"I think across the league, we as athletes, we cherish our moments with days off," Owens said.
"But if that's the only day we can give back, besides playing on Sundays and giving the fans something to watch and cheer about, then that's great. This is a chance for me to give back to the kids, and I have a place in my heart for kids."
posted by The Gryphon at 7:51 AM
<< Home