ARCHIVES OF LEAD STORIES
June 16, 2005
Football, film legend
finds success working with teens
Yawu Miller
By his retirement in 1965, Jim Brown had already
set records as a running back for the Cleveland Browns, securing
a place in the Prof Football Hall of Fame.
Since then, he has led an impressive career in Hollywood, with
roles in blockbuster films as diverse as “The Dirty Dozen”
and “Any Given Sunday.”
But it’s his work with teenagers, gang-bangers and police
officers Brown says, that keeps him going.
“I’m still relevant,” he told a group of teenagers
at English High School Monday. “When you’re relevant,
it means you’re putting something back into your society.”
Brown spoke to students who had completed his Amer-I-Can Program,
a motivational seminar designed to help people reach their full
potential. After mediating a conflict between rival Los Angeles
gang members in 1993, Brown created a foundation to bring the
program to high schools across the country.
“The objective of the program is to cause one to examine
their past conditioned behavior patterns and to systematically
apply proven methods to overcome behavior that negatively influenced
their lives,” reads an explanation on the foundation’s
web site.
West Roxbury High School Headmaster Dan Pellegrini said the program
had a noticeable effect on students who participated.
“With our kids we saw marked improvement with their attendance
and we saw a large improvement with their GPAs,” he said.
Attendance for participating students increased by 60 percent,
according to Pellegrini and GPAs were up by 50 percent.
“We had amazing results for an 18 month program,”
he said.
Brown told the Banner his program is aimed at instilling values
and building self esteem.
“Most kids, if you care about them and give them respect,
they’ll do the same for you,” he said after the program
as several parents thanked him for his work.
“People approach kids from an authority-first standpoint
and assume kids don’t know anything. They’re intelligent.
They feel you. They want you to listen to them.”
In his speech to the graduates, Brown told the students his accomplishments
on the football field were nothing compared to academic success.
“I was a gladiator,” he said. “I was famous
and I made a lot of money. But upstairs, I had a boss. He wasn’t
big or strong. You can play ball all you want, but somewhere in
the stands there is a man who put the team together. He is the
boss, the jefe.”
After his address, students were given certificates for completing
the Amer-I-Can program and a firm handshake from Brown. Before
departing, Brown offered English High footballer Lamar Hartgrove
parting advice.
Drawing Hartgrove close, the 69-year-old Brown repelled him with
a gentle, but firm movement of his arm.
“It’s all in the forearm,” he told the teen.
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