By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
Professional football player Ed Reynolds II learned all about character education and good character traits when he was a student at the Eldridge Park School — respect, responsibility, perseverance, citizenship, fairness, trustworthiness and caring.
But the two character education traits that have served him most in his fledgling career with the Philadelphia Eagles football team are trustworthiness and respect, Mr. Reynolds told students at the Eldridge Park School last week.
Mr. Reynolds, who attended the grades K-3 school in second and third grade, was invited to speak to the students as the school kicked off its annual character education program. He had received the "Caring Student Award" as a third-grader in 2000.
"The main (character education trait) I was taught was respect — respect for the coaches, respect for my teammates and respect for the game in general. I have played football for a long time," he told the children.
"Being trustworthy is another character trait. There are 10 guys on the field with you. You have to trust them all to do their jobs so you can win or make the big play," Mr. Reynolds said.
No matter what the level — whether it is youth football, or high school or college football — "if you have that (respect and trustworthiness) on your team, you are going to win games," he said.
Mr. Reynolds’ visit to the school was a surprise to the students. They only knew they were going to have a school-wide meeting. School guidance counselor Tricia Burns told them they were going to have a special guest who went to school at Eldridge Park School.
"Ed is all grown up. Now, he is an Eagle," Ms. Burns said, as the children let out a collective gasp and then spontaneously broke out into cheers. They chanted "Eagle, Eagle, Eagle" as Mr. Reynolds followed the Lawrence High School Red Scare marching band onto the playground.
"(Being a Philadelphia Eagles team member) is not the only thing special about Ed. He was a student of character. He is where he is because he was a student of character. We remember him. He was hard-working and respectful," Ms. Burns said.
Reading from remarks that she made when Mr. Reynolds was presented with the Caring Student Award nearly 15 years ago, Ms. Burns said that he was viewed by many teachers and staff as "an all around model student." He was liked and respected by all of his peers, she said.
"This is, in essence, because of his non-judgmental, caring attitude," she read from those remarks. "Ed is the child who will show the new student the ropes, help the student who’s having trouble in math, choose the child who is often left out, stick up for the student who is picked on, abstain from joining in on behavior that can be construed as hurtful, and assist any teacher in need — all without being asked to and without an expectation of recognition."
"Why do I tell you this? Because it matters," Ms. Burns said to the children.
Mr. Reynolds agreed that the lessons he learned and the traits that he developed through the school’s character education program helped him get to where he is now. He was a fifth-round draft pick by the Eagles.
Mr. Reynolds, who played football at Stanford University, is just three courses shy of graduating with a degree in political science. He is a member of the Eagles’ practice team, which plays against the regular team members — either offensively or defensively. The practice team "runs plays (the regular team) might face from the opposing team," he said.
"When I was in third grade, I made up my mind that I wanted to be a professional football player," said Mr. Reynolds. His father, Ed Reynolds, played professional football for nine years with the New England Patriots and one year with the New York Giants.
"I said, ‘I can definitely do that.’ I did not realize how much work it is (to become a professional football player). But if I can do it — I am living my dream — you can do it. I did it with respect and a work ethic. You can all reach your dream. I am a living example of that," he said.
Mr. Reynolds urged the students to be a "student of character" every day.
He told the children that he loved playing sports — football, soccer, lacrosse, rugby, and track — but he was never a "huge fan" of baseball. After graduating from the Eldridge Park School, he attended Lawrence Intermediate School and Lawrence Middle School. He did not attend Lawrence High School, enrolling at the Woodberry Forest School in Virginia instead.
When the children asked him what it was like when he was a student at the Eldridge Park School, he said that "when I look at the school, it brings back a lot of memories. I moved to Lawrence from North Carolina. I was the new kid on the block. I had a Southern twang, I talked funny. (But) I made a lot of friends."
Looking around the Eldridge Park School playground, Mr. Reynolds said it did not look much different than when he went there. The students would come out and pick teams for kickball, he said, adding that he would try to kick the ball over the fence into the yard next door.
"I was that kid, just trying to fit in. I assimilated and I made friends. There were great teachers at the Eldridge Park School. It was fun. Like anything else, when you are a kid, you want to meet other kids and have a good time with your friends. I did that here," Mr. Reynolds said.
