Hometown Dekalb - News From Dekalb County GA

Before heading to Turner Field to prep for this evening’s game against the New York Mets, Atlanta Braves infielder Brian Jordan stopped by DeKalb County School System’s Henderson Middle School.

Brian Jordan was responding to an invitation he’d received from Henderson Middle’s, Mrs. Peaches Flanagan, a seventh grade language arts teacher. Mrs. Flanagan met the athlete at a recent state reading conference and extended an invitation for him to come and speak to the middle schools students about the importance of education.

Today, Jordan spoke at three, one-hour assemblies for the school’s sixth, seventh and eighth graders in Henderson’s gymnasium decorated with welcome posters and drawings of Jordan the students hand made.

In accordance with many of the posters’ “Be a Major League Reader” slogan, Jordan emphasized the importance of keeping education as a top priority, citing reading as a major way of acquiring knowledge.

Having graduated from the University of Richmond with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology with a minor in criminal justice, Jordan asked the students not to look at him as just a pro baseball player and former NFL player, but as a college graduate.

To the many aspiring professional athletes in the student body, Jordan urged them to take education seriously and have a plan B and C because of tough odds in the professional sports arena.

“Make education number one in your life,” he encouraged. “People can take football away; people can take baseball away; but no one can take your education away.”

Jordan, also the author of the recently published children’s book, I Told You I Can Play, said it was important that he visit Henderson to, ‘give kids hope and a reason to believe in themselves’ as well as pushing them to chase their dreams in spite of what people say you can’t do.

Source: DeKalb County Public Schools