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NFL’s Wilson expanding programs for area youth

Speaker emphasizes respect, work ethic, positive attitude

 

Written by Danielle Ray

Paducah Sun

Wednesday, March 10 2010

 

George Wilson is no stranger to giving back to his community. The Buffalo Bills safety supports his hometown of Paducah by hosting a sports camp for kids, giving away Bills’ tickets and creating a leadership retreat for Paducah Middle School students — just to name a few ways.

Wilson also speaks at Paducah schools, which is what he did on Tuesday afternoon at Clark Elementary. He encouraged the fifth-grade audience — about 85 students — to focus on three personal attributes: attitude, respect and work ethic.

Patty Thompson, a fifth-grade teacher at Clark, taught Wilson in middle school and said she is proud of the time he puts into giving back to the community and local schools. His message, she said, directly benefits the outlook of her students.

Wilson said, “Your attitude is everything in life, because your attitude almost always determines your aptitude in life.” He told students that choosing to have a positive attitude each day will eventually have a domino effect, creating positive thoughts, actions and routines in their futures.

He also stressed the importance of respect, both for self and others. People will often forget words and actions, he said, but they never forget how someone makes them feel.

But the topic the National Football League’s self-made starting safety likely knows better than most? Hard work.

“Anything worth having is worth working for,” he said. Wilson said he worked his way onto the Bills’ practice team in late 2004 and eventually into a starting position as of the fifth game last season.

Jada Christ, a Clark fifth-grader, asked Wilson, “Why did you pick football over any other sport?”

Wilson revealed that although he played two other sports while a student at Paducah Tilghman High School, football was his first love and offered more college scholarship opportunities than basketball and track. He maintained a 3.7 grade-point average in high school while participating in all three sports.

Wilson, who recently committed to another year with the Bills, spoke about signing on for the upcoming season.

“I’m excited about going back to Buffalo,” he said. His commitment to hard work will come in handy in the approaching preseason. Wilson said the Bills are switching defensive systems, which will inevitably mean many long days in practice in an effort to learn the ins and outs of the new setup.

He is planning the third annual SportsFest this summer, which will include football and cheerleading camps, a bowling tournament, and possibly the addition of a golf scramble. Wilson is also finalizing a group of 50 Paducah Middle School students for a leadership retreat in Nashville, Tenn., on April 24 and 25, and he’s constructing a combine for high school juniors to prepare them for college entrance tests and expose them to college scouts.

Finally, he’s working on creating Community Day at Noble Park — a family-focused gathering with food, music and activities for all ages.

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It's not available online. Enjoy!

 

NFL’s Wilson expanding programs for area youth

Speaker emphasizes respect, work ethic, positive attitude

 

Written by Danielle Ray

Paducah Sun

Wednesday, March 10 2010

 

 

Jada Christ, a Clark fifth-grader, asked Wilson...

 

 

How the hell can you have that last name and not name your son Jesus?

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