By Tim Groth, Kansas City Chiefs Intern

Winning football games doesn’t come very often for the Westport Tigers. In fact, they recently went two years without capturing a single victory the whole season. But thanks to the guidance of Kansas City Chiefs QB Quinn Gray and the key addition of veteran coach Dan Stanley, the Tigers ended the 2008 season with three victories and the prospects look bright. The Tigers work in the classroom has been equally impressive.

Just this week, Quinn was back at Westport to check in with the students and track their progress. The Fort Lauderdale native has been visiting Westport in conjunction with the Play It Smart program. Its mission is to transform the lessons learned on the field, like dedication and hard-work, and put them into use off the field, especially in the classroom. Quinn, who signed with the Chiefs this past October 22nd, is a frequent visitor at Westport as he reinforces the harsh reality of not continuing one’s education. Statistics show that student-athletes who go through Play it Smart outperform their peers in the classroom. Better yet, they don’t just graduate high school but continue on to college. That’s why Quinn has made it a point to visit Westport on several occasions even though he’s only called Kansas City home for four months.

When Quinn makes his visits to Westport High he helps the students-athletes with homework, ACT preparation and gives advice on problems the students are having. The visit this week was no different. Because of his sincerity with the team, Coach Stanley can see the difference that Quinn has made. “The thing about Quinn is that he continues to come back to the school and he stays on the kids to graduate high school and go on to college. He has really motivated [the players] to do better in school and it is showing.”

For Quinn, it’s just a chance for him to continue to help youth and show them they have a chance to go out and make something of themselves. Volunteering in the community isn’t something new for Quinn either. Before coming to Kansas City, this five-year NFL veteran participated in a variety of community outreach activities at his former stops. He went to the YMCA in Jacksonville on a regular basis to visit with those kids and supported his teammates with their respective foundations throughout his NFL journey. It is safe to say that Quinn is no shy when it comes to helping out the Kansas City area either.

At the end of Quinn’s last Play it Smart study hall session at Westport, the students packed up their school work as the bell rang. Still, Quinn wasn’t done sharing his knowledge. Instead, he headed to the school’s weight room where he offered guidance and tips to these young student-athletes.

Watch out Kansas City as the Westport Tigers are becoming a force to be reckoned with on the gridiron…and more importantly, in the classroom.

NFF