Bridgeport students hear words of commitment from NFL player
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BRIDGEPORT - The Bulldogs welcomed a special guest with a message of perseverance and the power of holding to high standards Oct. 13 when former NFL player John Earle spoke to the middle schoolers and high schoolers. Earle had played for the Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots and the St. Louis Rams.
Earle brought passion to his presentation, emphasizing his mantra of grit and grind, fight, finish and faith. He challenged the young people to commit to their goals and compete for what they want most in life. He added learning to grind now will serve them well in later years.
He related stories of his time striving to make it to the NFL. He learned the necessity of an elite mindset and determination to be above average.
Earle said fear of failure has caused too many people to quit.
"Don't let fear cripple you, or you won't even compete because you're afraid to."
He said it is easier to start something than to finish it, and encouraged the students to commit to seeing their chosen goals to completion.
"I promise you, the quickest way to failure is not having a standard. Not having an elite mindset."
Earle credited the faith carried with him through times and helped him weather the pressures of the world.
He shared stories of how faith helped his father when he faced a fatal cancer diagnosis, and his good friend and fellow NFL player O.J. Brigance during his 19-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Earl said Brigance continued to volunteer and contribute with all he had.
"You're going to need something that's bigger than you," he said. "We can live, knowing that whatever's thrown at me doesn't have to get the best of me."
Earle also spoke about how this belief helped see him through when he survived two heart attacks in 2024. He was only minutes away from death when he underwent emergency procedures.
"Every person in this gymnasium, you have a destiny and a purpose. You just have to find it," he said. "Don't expect to be great when all you do is live average."
Afterward, Earle said he has not been to the area since the late 1990s and early 2000s. Bridgeport Schools has proven a hospitable district.
"The students are awesome. In an age where students have a hard time sitting still and keeping their attention span, these young people were right on point."
He was impressed by Bridgeport Schools, noting the administrators met him on his arrival and evidently had high expectations for students.
"That means this place is a facility for higher learning, and I felt that when I walked in. The teachers here are great leaders. They actually care. They're not just doing a job, they're doing something they have a passion for."
The students went back to class with a lot to consider. Junior Bella Hilliard was interested in Earle's talk.
"I thought it was a really good message. His story was definitely inspiring and I think that people should really do what he said and take that inspiration and run with it and do something. Be above average with their lives," she said, adding Earle's father's courage in the face of a cancer diagnosis resonated.
Senior Evan Clark also observed the strength of Earle's faith.
"It was very inspirational. The message was really good," he said. "How he preserved through the rough times in his life."
Bridgeport High School Principal Jack Fisher was pleased to have Earle. He added Earle's resilience made an impression.
"It was great," he said. "If you have the right mindset and the right perspective, you don't let certain things get you down."
Fisher commented on the value of bringing in accomplished speakers who have faced adversity.
"It's a good opportunity for our kids to hear stories from some of these speakers. They were where our kids are at one point, or in much harder situations, so it's valuable for our kids to hear these stories. I appreciate him being here."
Bridgeport Middle School Principal Aaron Marovich agreed.
"A really good opportunity for these students to understand what grit is and to listen to someone who's really been through a lot, accomplished their dreams, and gone to great lengths to achieve them."