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Health & Fitness

Retired NFL Player Scores Big with Teens and his Anti-bullying Message

Red Bank Regional High School (RBR) marked Violence and Vandalism Awareness Week with a special assembly program presented by motivational speaker and retired NFL football player, Levar Fisher who impressed the RBR student body with his boundless energy and compelling life-story. He interspersed his program with audience participation; his showmanship and humor captured and kept the audience’s attention. His program was sponsored by the SOURCE, RBR’s School Based Youth Services Program.

            Levar Fisher was born in a small town where no one had ever gone to college. As a lower classman he suffered abuse for his weight as a football player who dared to dream of, not only going to college, but playing for the NFL.

            With his family’s encouragement, he set out to prove the bullies wrong. He embarked on a healthy diet and stringent exercise program. When he felt like quitting because it was too hard, the taunts of the bullies pushed him to push on.

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             A constant refrain in his program was, “Don’t you ever let anyone tell you what you cannot do or cannot achieve in your life.”

            He also talked about choices teenagers make, decisions that could affect them the rest of their lives. He recounted a bad decision he made as a teenage by following his friends on a foolhardy venture of burglarizing a home. It ended with very serious consequences. Levar believes the incident redirected him on a more positive path, and formed the basis of his message to young people when he encourages them to “F.R.E.E.Z.E. and think before you make a decision.”  The acronym stands for: focus on what’s important; realize who you are; eliminate negative influences; encourage others; zone in on your goals; and expect success.

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            Levar became a major success by anyone’s measure. He went on to play college football at North Carolina State where he was a starting linebacker for four years. He was the ACCs Defensive Player of the year in 2000 and a first team All-American linebacker in 2000 and 2001. He was also an Academic All-American, an accomplishment of which he was most proud. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals where he played for three years before joining the New Orleans Saints.  Levar Fisher suffered a career-ending knee injury in 2007 and decided to embark on a new career of motivational speaking bringing his anti-bullying and motivational message to conferences and schools all over the country.  More information on Levar Fisher’s program can be found on his website, FREEZEANDTHINK.COM.

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