Every now and then it’s good to remind fans: College student-athletes do more than perform on the football field and inside the classroom. Members of the Florida A&M University football team visited the Hampton VA Medical Center on Friday afternoon in advance of Saturday’s Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) football opener at Norfolk State.
The student-athletes, along with head coach Willie Simmons, associate head football coach James Spady and FAMU First Lady Sharon Robinson, spent time with veterans, as well as signed posters and posed for photos.
“We try to expose these guys to new things as much as we can,” Simmons said. “A lot of our guys have family members who have served in this area, so any chance we can get to give back to a group of people who have done so much for us, we want to take advantage of it. It’s a great experience and I’m really glad we were able to do this. This is our first time coming to an actually hospital. I think our guys got much more out of coming to see what goes on in an actual VA hospital."
“These veterans are great people for this country and what they did. Just to see the way they look at life and their aspect of life could be life changing. There is a lot you can learn from this experience," said senior linebacker Elijah Richardson, who was recently named a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation William V. Campbell Trophy.
During the visit the Rattlers ran into FAMU alum John Press who works as a Physical Therapist at the hospital. The hospital visit was made was coordinated by U.S. Rep. Al Lawson.
The Rattlers (2-1) open MEAC play on Saturday against Norfolk State (1-3). Kickoff against the Spartans is set for 4 p.m. from William “Dick” Price Stadium and the game can be streamed live on ESPN3.