New York Giants Visit Biondi High School

Some might say that the students at Biondi have New York Giants fever.  They filled the auditorium at Biondi High School with an excited buzz as they waited to ask Giants defensive lineman Chris Canty and linebacker Chase Blackburn questions about their football careers.  This past May, Canty and Blackburn became the latest of five Giants players who made time to visit the high school. Brandon Jacobs, Kevin Boothe and Zack Diosi have also come out to support our students over the past year, and with each new Giant, the students’ excitement for the team rises.

While all of the players have urged the students to remain dedicated to their goals, Blackburn and Canty talked about how vital their education was to their success. “Education is not a backup plan. It is the plan,” said Canty. “You don’t just need an education if you’re going to be a business man. You need an education if you’re going to be a professional athlete, too. You can run the fastest, you can jump the highest, but if you can’t process the information, you have no value in the NFL.”

Both players emphasized that education was not only important to their triumphs as athletes, but also in other areas of their lives.  Blackburn told that students that after he finishes his career in professional football, he plans to make good use of his degree in Math Education.  “My degree was the most important thing to me… I want to be a teacher and a coach so that I can help out the youth.”  Canty shared with the students that he had earned his degree in History and African American Studies and that his level of education helps him with various business ventures and with his foundation.  He told them, “The more education you have, the more opportunities you will have.  You do not want to be told what you have to do to survive, to make a living.  You can do better than just survive.  When you have an education, you can decide what you want to do.”

To see more pictures of Blackburn and Canty with Biondi students, view our Flickr photo galleries:

Chase Blackburn at Biondi High

and Chris Canty at Biondi High.