Head Football Coach Michael Morand and eight members of the Saint Augustine’s University football team made an appearance at Fox Road Magnet Elementary School on December 11.

Their mission? To be role models to a group of third, fourth and fifth grade students.

Coach Morand and the football student-athletes were guest speakers at a mentoring program organized by the Wake County Public School System. The student-athletes were fullback Reese Bradley (So./Fredericksburg, VA), linebacker Dwight Cannon (Fr./Goldsboro, NC), offensive lineman Henry Capers (So./Raeford, NC), defensive back Justin Jones (Jr./Fort Valley, GA), offensive lineman Brandon King (So./Florence, SC), linebacker Maalik Leggette (Fr./Warner Robins, GA), offensive lineman John Perkins (So./Fayetteville, NC) and defensive back Anthony Tucker (Fr./Garner, NC).

The mentoring program is held at various schools across Wake County. Brian Harewood, the mentor program coordinator at Fox Road Elementary, says the students meet a different role model each Thursday in the school’s media room. This week, the students were thrilled to interact with the football student-athletes since many of them are sports fans.

But athletics wasn’t the reason that Coach Morand and the student-athletes came. They urged the kids to study hard, make good decisions and respect their elders. The students responded positively as they asked questions throughout the hour-long session.

“The youngsters had some great questions, and we answered them to the best of our ability,” Morand said. “They were very attentive, and the players were very responsible in their answers.”

The kids also made an impact on the football student-athletes.

“I felt like a big brother talking to my little brother,” Jones said. “It makes me want to be a better person because I know I got somebody looking up to me.”

Coach Morand was proud to watch his football student-athletes mentor the elementary school kids. It shows they are willing to help others.

“They could be home right now because final exams are over, but they wanted to speak to the kids,” Morand said. “It gives me a warm feeling in my heart to see my team giving back because that’s what it’s all about. We were in their seats before, and now we can show them how we got to where we are.”

This was the first of many community service projects for the football team. The Falcons plan to participate in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Memorial March, help build Habitat for Humanity of Wake County houses and visit the Raleigh Boys Club.

“We will be in the community a lot because we want to give back,” Morand said.