By Mark Eckel, Player Engagement Insider
Jayrone Elliott grew up in the tough part of Cleveland. Sports, in general, and football, in particular, helped him stay focused and out of the trouble that some of his friends suffered through.
Now in his third year as a linebacker for the Green Bay Packers, Elliott, who graduated from the University of Toledo, tries to spread that message to young people across Ohio, Wisconsin and anywhere else he speaks to do the right thing.
“I’ve been trying to give back to the community ever since I was in high school,’’ Elliott said. “Being an athlete, and a good athlete, it gives me an opportunity to branch out to people.
“I didn’t have the best background growing up. There was a lot of violence, a lot of killings going on. Being an athlete it took me away from all of that. I was always busy with sports. It kept me focused; kept me busy.’’
Elliott is busy being a linebacker and one of the top special teams players on the Packers, but still finds time to help in the community whenever he can.
This is just some of what he has done:
Interacted with six schools from the Hortonville Area and Greenville Middle School as part of the NFL’s Fuel Up to Play 60 program.
Participated in the PALS Program Packers Play 60 night and visited area middle schools as part of the Bellin Health “Play 60 Challenge’’
Spoke to children at St. John the Baptist School in Plymouth, WI.
Participated in an autograph signing at the Deere High vs. Bay Port High football game for Breast Cancer Awareness.
“Where I grew up a lot of my friends didn’t make the right choices and some of them have paid for it,’’ Elliott said. “I’m trying to help kids now to try to make that right choice and not like some of my friends did.
“Football has been a tremendous part of my life. It helped me go to college, and for free. That was the first great thing. My family didn’t have the money to put me through college. Without football, I would have never even gone to college.
“Then when I got to college it helped me meet new people and just being around different people helped me become a better man. It helped me get ready for the real world, get ready to become a father, and have an impact in the world.’’
While in college, Elliott got involved in community work and was named the school’s most involved student in 2013 and led the school in community hours worked.
“Every Monday and Tuesday was our day off,’’ he said.
“A few of our coaches, their wives taught at the local schools, so I would go and talk to the kids there. In my mind the youth is the future. If we can get them at a younger age and instill some positive vibes, maybe it will carry along and they’ll become our leaders of the future.’’
Elliott leads by example as a young man who came from a rough area, went to college, did well, make th
e NFL as an undrafted free agent and is a success on and off the field.
He knows how fortunate he is and he’s willing to give back as much as he can.
“I’ve never taken the game for granted,’’ he said “I come to work every day thankful for the opportunity I have. I thought I might have played my last down in college. So, I’m paranoid all the time that I might lose it all. And that’s one thing I don’t want to do.’’
And that’s part of the message he sends to students.
“They pay attention to you because you’re in the NFL,’’ Elliott said. “Of course it always starts off the same way, they want to talk about (Packers quarterback) Aaron Rodgers. Once we get through that, they start to realize the message I’m there to present to them.’’