Bob Wager’s classroom is the football field, where his diverse group of student-athletes is learning about a lot more than just the importance of strength and conditioning drills.
“There isn't one of us that looks the same. Not one of us," said Wager referring to his diverse group of players. "This is as diverse a group as you're going to find anywhere and we're all together and if we can start with the miracle of 'team,' maybe we got a chance to do some good and spread that into our school and into our community.”
Wager is trying to turn George Floyd’s tragic death into an opportunity to educate and enlighten others about social injustice in the United States.
“Those are some of the valuable conversations that we’ve been able to have in the last week and a half and not that they were uncomfortable before, but you made more of a point to have them now,” said Wager.
Helping him with the conversation is one of Wager's former players. Sorrell Brown is more than happy to do his part toward change.
“This has been going on for decades," said the Tulane wide receiver and Arlington Martin graduate. "People (have) been trying to be heard and it wasn’t until his death that sparked people to listen so just taking advantage of it and just get gritty like we just got to get through it and change the future.”
The future can be overwhelming for high school kids to think about. But they’re also feeling a sense of excitement about it.
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“It is a weird time to be alive," said Arlington Martin linebacker Morice Blackwell. "It's like we’re rewriting the history book.”
Rewriting a history book that’s packed with something more important than any playbook.
