Football stars come home to Brockton with this advice for kids who may be struggling

BROCKTON — Two star football players from Brockton returned to deliver a message of hope to local fifth graders at the Angelo Elementary School.

“These two have been through what our kids have been through. They’ve lived the life of our fifth-grade students. They’ve been through some of the same obstacles our kids are going through,” said John Kelly, principal of Angelo Elementary.

Kelly was excited when Ademola Faleye, a tight end at Michigan State University, and Samson Okunlola, a lineman at the University of Miami, wanted to speak to elementary students about their journey.

The two went to Angelo for elementary school as children, so it was a surreal moment to speak to them, Faleye said.

Growing up, he said there weren’t any role models that looked like them or came from the same background visiting the school.

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During the visit, the kids asked several questions, and they answered each one.

“We mainly talked about putting your mind to whatever you want to do in life and telling them, 'The world is yours.' We were breathing new life into the next generation,” Faleye said.

What kept Faleye motivated in life was his parents always telling him that he would be “someone special in the world.”

As a young kid, these words of inspiration and aspiration stuck with him and aligned him with his goals, leading him to graduate from Brockton High School and commit to a division one football program.

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“The visit wasn’t just about football but being successful and overcoming adversity no matter what it takes to get there,” Kelly said.

Okunlola enjoyed giving back to his community through mentorship and giving the fifth graders honest advice.

“The biggest takeaway for the kids is understanding how anything is achievable. If you put the work in and wait for the right opportunity, you will be successful,” Okunlola said.

As for the future of the two football stars, they hope to finish college and join the NFL one day.

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Football stars Ademola Faleye and Samson Okunlola return to Brockton