Pittsburgh Steelers Visit Penn Hills High School
The ‘Black and Gold’ met with the ‘Red and Gold’ on Tuesday, October 15 at Penn Hills High School.
Pittsburgh Steelers players Calvin Austin III and Thomas Graham Jr. answered questions from students as part of an initiative from the Neighborhood Resilience Project (NRP). The NRP, headquartered in Pittsburgh's Hill District, works with communities affected by trauma to help them heal.
Students got to ask two young men - professional athletes - about their experiences in school, sports, and life. More than two dozen students, some of them aspiring athletes themselves, asked the players all sorts of questions. Whether it was dealing with adversity, coping with stress, or fighting for a career in football, the players had plenty of advice.
"It was good to just remember when I was in their shoes and how it feels to be in their situation," said Graham. "Just being able to give some insight back is good, because I know I would have wanted some, too."
Both Austin and Graham are 25 years old. A few years ago, they were in the same place these students were; their experiences are still fresh.
"I just told them about being different and the impact that (today's) influences can have," said Austin, "and how important it is to be different." He reminded students to be aware of and avoid negative influences.
Graham spoke about the importance of setting goals in life, whether it's playing in the NFL or another pursuit.
"It starts mentally, and it starts internally," said Graham. "You mentally change yourself before you physically change certain things. Change your perspective."
The NRP teamed up with Austin and Graham through the Steelers Social Justice Committee. The partnership provides a forum for players to meet with students to discuss the impact of violence in their communities, and how to address the impact of trauma.
"One thing about life, if you keep running from that same problem it's going to keep coming," said Graham. "It's basically to understand ten toes down, fight it, find a way. Just keep trying, because you can't be successful if you don't keep trying."
Austin echoed his teammate's thoughts, especially when it comes to facing adversity. The choices Penn Hills students make now can affect them for their entire lives, he explained.
"Being resilient and dealing with conflict is the story of life," said Austin. "If you keep on running away from it, you're going to have to deal with it eventually."
Tuesday's question-and-answer session is an extension of the work done by the NRP in communities like Penn Hills. The organization has a team that responds to communities where gun violence has taken place and offers trauma care and trauma therapy referrals.
The NRP also has staff members who work with violence interrupters to prevent future issues and provide resources including health and food support.
"I think that there's a lot of gifts and talents in schools like this," said Dan Emerick, NRP Behavioral Health Counselor. "There might be a future NFL player or a future doctor or lawyer that could make a difference in their community, and it really takes hearing from others that have gone before them."
Following the conversation, players posed for a few photos before heading off and preparing for Sunday night's game against the New York Jets. The students, meanwhile, enjoyed pizza and got to speak with representatives of the Neighborhood Resilience Project about their experiences.