NFL football players and hometown favorites, Dawan and LaRon Landry, made rounds visiting elementary and middle schools in St. Charles Parish on Jan. 24. The athletes encouraged teens to stay in school, work hard and use sports as a tool to reach and obtain goals for the future.
“NFL stands for Not for Long,” Dawan Landry warned students. “You could hurt yourself at anytime as a professional athlete, so you have to have a back up plan.”
Dawan, an honor graduate from Georgia Tech, plans on working in the real estate business, once his football career comes to an end.
“I know that I can’t rely on football the rest of my life,” he said. “I have to concentrate on getting things accomplished besides football to secure my future.”
LaRon warned the children about the highs, lows and limelight of football and the celebrity status that comes and ends quickly.
“The people you think are your friends today, the ones sitting next to you aren’t going to be your friends necessarily when things are down,” he said. “The friends I had in middle school and high school aren’t necessarily my friends today.”
LaRon says its okay to enjoy the success and financial benefits that football brings, but warned students that doing things in excess isn’t good.
LaRon says since he has recognized the importance of securing his financial future and has a financial advisor and the advice of his father he’s cut back on doing a lot of things expected of professional athletes, like excessive spending.
“My dad would say, why are you buying all those cars, you can only drive one at a time anyway,” he said. “I started listening and that’s why it’s important that you don’t go overboard in situations like this.”
LaRon was fined $60,000 during this year’s football season. From that, along with other lessons learned along the way, LaRon advised the students that having a good attitude goes a long way, on and off the field and in the classroom.
“I lost my salary for two whole months because of my attitude,” he said. “It’s important that when you play sports no matter what you play hard but play smart and be respectful.” LaRon cautioned them that they must also bring the right attitude to their learning as well.
Both LaRon and Dawan credit their parents for encouraging them to not only do well in sports but in academics.
“My proudest moment wasn’t being drafted into the NFL,” Dawan said. “It was the day I graduated from college with honors.”
Nicole LeBeauf, principal of R. K. Smith Middle School, says she invited the players to help the students realize their potential.
“LaRon and Dawan were both good students that made something of themselves, because they worked hard and stayed focused, and that’s what any one of you can do,” LeBeauf said to students. “I brought them here to show you what and who you can become; it’s one thing for us to tell you about successful people in the community, it’s another thing for you to see them in person and hear how they accomplished things.”
The Landry brothers also visited Lakewood Elementary and Luling Elementary schools before heading out of state to their respective homes.
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