NFL player visits EPISD’s Hawkins Elementary

Coming to school every day paid off with more than knowledge for some of the students at Hawkins on Wednesday.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Farrington Huguenin and former University of Texas at El Paso football player Kevin Perry visited the South-Central school to give a motivational speech to the entire student body.

Huguenin trains in El Paso with Perry and was compelled to come to Hawkins after some students made Valentine’s Day cards for him, Principal Adriana Ruiz said.

“We were so happy and honored to have them come and talk to our kids about the importance of education,” she said. “It’s important for our students to see people they admire be successful and we want them to know that the key to success is education.”

The students who have had perfect attendance this month got a special perk: a pick-up football game with both players.

Huguenin and Perry also brought with them school supplies to donate to the students and several autographed footballs to give out.