Photo by Kailey Carpino Litchfield Ajavon, former football player at the University of Notre Dame and current production crew member at NBC Sports, spoke at Martins Ferry High School on Friday.

MARTINS FERRY — Litchfield Ajavon, former football player at the University of Notre Dame and current production crew member at NBC Sports, spoke at Martins Ferry High School on Friday.

Ajavon started off his speech by wishing the girls’ basketball team good luck as they compete in the OVAC championships. He also wished good luck to the boys’ basketball team and congratulated the boys’ wrestling team for taking second place at the OVAC championship.

Ajavon said that he lived with his grandfather in Ghana, Africa growing up and moved to Baltimore, Maryland when he was 6 years old.

He attended the University of Notre Dame where he played football and studied film, television, and theater, and he graduated in three years. He then attended Rice University in Houston, Texas for one year of graduate school.

He now works on “Sunday Night Football,” a program on CBS Sports as a production crew member.

“I am here because of hard work, luck and perseverance,” Ajavon said.

Ajavon said that he grew up in poverty and how he was raised made him the person he is today.

“Your journey is yours. It’s your story, and you should own it, love it and appreciate it,” he said.

“Don’t regret what you’re doing, what you’ve been through. Do not change who you are. Be you and start being the best version of you you can be,” he said.

Ajavon showed the students videos and clips of television programs that he helped to create and produce during his speech.

Ajavon encouraged the students to take risks and get out of their comfort zones. He said that a “defining moment” in his life was when he left Baltimore where he was comfortable.

“It caused me to grow, learn and expand to be the person I am today,” he said.

Ajavon ended his speech by passing the microphone around the bleachers so that students could share their dreams and career goals. Some students said that they wanted to get their CDL license or go to culinary school.

“My ultimate goal is to open a production studio for the sole purpose of being able to go into small towns and impoverished cities to talk to people and get them to be heard by America,” Ajavon said.

He encouraged the students to “build the necessary tools and skillsets” throughout life in order to reach their goals.

Ajavon encouraged the students to spread positive messages to others.

“It doesn’t matter if you only touch one person, two people or three people. The idea is that you get the message out,” he said.

Ajavon said that his father grew up in Martins Ferry, and he was glad to have the opportunity to speak with students at MFHS.

“I relished the people that spoke to me when I was younger, and I wanted to pay it forward,” he said.

Superintendent Jim Fogle said that he was “extremely excited” for Ajavon to speak at the school.

“Anytime we can have a polished, successful person speak at the school, it’s great for the students,” he said.

Fogle said that he hopes speakers like Ajavon motivate the students and encourage them to “work toward their goals in life.”