Former Washington Redskins defensive star Darrell Green spoke about football, morality and community service Thursday in Bender Arena to kick off Homecoming Weekend.
In his speech, sponsored by the Kennedy Political Union and Greek Life, Green reminisced about his childhood and joked about his experiences with the modest crowd of AU students and alumni.
"I started out with very, very humble beginnings ... I was very fortunate to have the chance to go to university and expand on my dream," Green said.
The 43-year-old star grew up in the projects of Houston for years with his six siblings, but was still able to attend Texas A&I University, now Texas A&M - Kingsville, and play football without a scholarship.
"I wanted to get into college, I wanted to get a degree, I wanted to play football," Green said.
The NFL came calling in 1983, when Green was drafted in the first round. Yet Green said he is more proud of his moral convictions and his personal integrity.
"In 43 years, I never smoked one cigarette, one joint, never drank, never cheated on my wife." The glamorous world of professional sports offers many dangerous temptations that have tarnished the careers and reputations of hundreds of athletes, he said.
"The more resources you have, the more opportunity [exists] to do wrong ... there are a lot of ungodly and immoral people with money," Green said.
Yet these problems can be overcome, he said.
"What really separates a man? It's a man's moral convictions," Green said. "You need to have a deep-rooted sense of your moral responsibilities and to walk it, not just talk it."
This philosophy led Green to establish the Darrell Green Youth Life Foundation in 1988, an organization meant to "create doors of opportunity for children living in insecure environments," according to Green's official Web site, www.darrellgreen.com.
Although Green has spoken out about his convictions frequently, he also said it is important to live by those convictions. "I think the most important thing about your faith is that you live it ... you don't always have to say a lot."
He can still recall the exact moment when, driving down the George Washington Parkway, he realized his need to reach out to others.
"Something just hit me like a ton of bricks - and I started to cry. I felt it was God speaking to me," Green said.
KPU director Eric Morley, whom Green mentioned in some of his jokes, explained why Green was chosen to speak during Homecoming Weekend.
"We wanted to get someone who would be appreciated by alumni, we wanted to get away from politics, [and we wanted] someone everyone could feel good about," Morley said.
Green's audience was diverse, peppered with old and new alumni, students and die-hard Redskins fans.
Green stressed the importance of dreams, which he said, "need to be driven by social, moral and civic values."
Yet Green also encouraged the audience to "keep it real" and to be realistic about abilities and talents.
"I knew the limitations that I had. I still had to figure out how to reach my goals," Green said. However, one person who hasn't kept it real, in Green's opinion, is Rush Limbaugh, who recently made controversial comments about the abilities of black quarterbacks in the NFL.
"Limbaugh is about making money," Green said. "He cares about being famous."
Despite all his athletic achievements, his fame and his money, Green is far more proud of his family, his morality and his convictions, he said.
"I like impact, I like truth, I like all people," Green said.
