One lucky grade Seven student from Mother Theresa Catholic School in Oakville brought something extra special for show and tell on June 9th. Pro Bowler and NFL Man of the Year Troy Vincent took time out of his busy training schedule to accompany Ashara Cadogan to school as part of the Reebok Footlocker Take a Player to School program.
The Reebok Foot Locker Take a Player to School Contest was run in Foot Locker stores across Ontario throughout the winter and Ashara Cadogan was randomly selected as the lucky winner from the thousands of entries received.
Vincent began his afternoon with a school-wide assembly where he stressed the importance of a good education in reaching your goals. He presented Ashara with a signed Buffalo Bills jersey and helmet courtesy of Reebok Canada and then joined her in her classroom for a question and answer session.
As a player, President of the NFL Players Association, and devoted father Vincent had some strong advice for the students. "Live your dreams, be respectful, work, make an honest living, and stay in school -- there's nothing like an education," said Vincent as noted in the Oakville Beaver. "He's really nice, and he had a lot of good things to say, It's been really exciting," noted Cadogan.
The class then hit the newly re-opened field for a game of flag football with Vincent quarterbacking for both teams. After the game, Vincent, Cadogan and five of her friends were taken home in a limousine.
Vincent summed up the day in an interview with the Toronto Star, "It was very well thought out and you could see so much respect. I appreciate that. I think the teachers and the principal did a really great job preparing the students for myself, for what was going to take place, the things that we’d talk about. This is just lovely."
