By KAYLA J. MARSH
Staff Writer
HAZLET — Raritan High School students were encouraged to say “no” to drugs and to pursue what makes them most happy in life.
That was the theme during an assembly at the school on May 4 when NFL running back Donald Brown, who grew up in the area, delivered the message as part of a Natural High assembly.
The Natural High organization is a national nonprofit group that inspires youth to discover, amplify and pursue their natural high so they have a reason to say “no” to drugs and alcohol.
Brown talked about his experience growing up along the Jersey Shore in Atlantic Highlands, his love of football and his career so far and shared the influences and experiences that have helped him achieve his dreams and be drug-free.
“Just playing in the National Football League … I have to pinch myself each and every day,” he told students. “I’m living out my childhood dream, and there are many factors that have helped me get to where I am — hard work, dedication, perseverance, priorities, making the right decisions, making sure I have the right people around me — but the most important factor was also staying naturally high.”
Brown played football and ran track at Red Bank Catholic High School. He rushed for 2,032 yards and scored 27 touchdowns during his senior season at high school in the fall of 2004. He then went on to star at the University of Connecticut, where he left as the college’s all-time leading rusher with 3,800 yards.
He was selected in the first round of the 2009 draft by the Indianapolis Colts, and after he played five seasons with the Colts, he went on and played in the backfield for the San Diego Chargers over the past two years. He recently signed with the New England Patriots.
For his seven-year career in the NFL, he has rushed for a total of 2,829 yards and has scored 18 touchdowns while he has caught 120 passes for 1,066 yards and two TDs.
“My definition of natural high is something that excites you when you get up in the morning, something that gets you out of bed and saying, ‘I have to go do this,’” Brown said.
“For me football is my natural high, but for some of you it might be soccer, it might be gymnastics, putting a car together, reading, writing, cooking … it’s endless and that is the beauty of natural highs.”
Encouraging students to find what makes them most happy in life, Brown said he knew from an early age nothing was going to get in the way of his football career and told students that at 29 years old, he is proud to say he has never touched a drug.
“It is the most rewarding thing now as I stand up here and to say that I was able to say ‘no,’” he said.
“It is probably one of the hardest things you’re going to have to do, but once you start to say no … it gets that much easier and you can live out your dreams and do what you want to do.”
For those who might not yet know what their natural high is, Brown offered some words of advice and encouragement.
“If you haven’t found your natural high yet, keep looking,” he said. “The more you expose yourself to [activities], eventually you are going to stumble upon it and once you do, it is going to be an awesome experience.”
Brown said while he was lucky to find his natural high at a young age, it did take time, motivation, dedication and surrounding himself with the best people to know what he was capable of.
“My parents have been great mentors for me — they’ve always helped steer me in the right direction, even when I thought I knew it all, they gave me the most guidance and helped steer me where I am now,” he said.
“I found the courage to say ‘no’ just because I love football so much. There was nothing more important to me at that time in my life [and] when you love something that much you’re willing to say ‘no’ to the meaningless things or things that can hinder that.
“Through your natural high you will develop values that will help you later in life [and] I encourage you to find as many natural highs as possible.
“Surround yourself with people who have the same common interest as you, the same beliefs that you … embrace and learn from each and every moment … find a great supporting cast to help pick you up during those tough times … [and] set goals for yourself, short-term goals and long-term goals.
“There are great opportunities for you guys out there, and the teachers — they are willing to do everything and anything to help you guys succeed.”
Natural High partners with drug-free celebrity role models who share their stories about growing up and the choices they made to achieve their dreams.
Mary Sutton, the district’s student assistance coordinator, and Barbara Hilliard, of the Hazlet Alliance, coordinated the assembly.
Hilliard won the chance to serve as a host to the assembly at the Association of Student Assistant Professionals of New Jersey conference in February. She then donated the assembly to Raritan High School after hearing how students have been using lessons and information from the Natural High program to work on projects in health class.
“Natural High … our main mission is to help you all figure out what is that thing that is your natural high so that you will be able to really enjoy your life,” representative Lani Hobson told students.
“Natural high is any activity, sport or art form that makes you feel good and doesn’t involve drugs or alcohol, and it is a really important message.
“I’ve been volunteering with Natural High for about four years now, and when I was growing up, my mother was actually a heroin addict … and at age 30 she was actually killed by her dealers because she couldn’t pay for her drugs.
“And in my mind, I always thought ‘why did she turn to drugs’ and then once I discovered the Natural High organization, I knew in my heart she didn’t know what her natural high was. She didn’t have that one thing that she could turn to, and so when I do work with Natural High it is to help you all and kids across the nation really learn what is that one thing that just makes you really excited, doesn’t involve drugs or alcohol and helps you live life well.”