"I Want To Be That Person That Gives Kids Hope": Former NFL Safety, And Tulsa Native, Shamiel Gary Turns A Football Career Into Motivational Speaking

It's been quite a journey for former Booker T and OSU standout Shamiel Gary. Now 7 years after his pro football career ended, he's passing on his life lessons to the next generation.

"I want to be that person that gives kids hope."

Shamiel Gary is back on the football field. Not as a player, but as a teacher and motivator. The Tulsa native is the star attraction for the Avedis Foundation's "Health Week 25" at Shawnee High School. His message to the kids, and adults is a simple one...take care of yourself physically and mentally.

"You want to be physically healthy, so you can play with your kids or show up for your friends. If you have to run away from someone, you want to be able to run full speed," says Gary. "But also, if you are there mentally, you can accomplish so much. It's not selfish to take care of yourself. You actually take care of other people by taking care of yourself."

Dr. Kathy Laster, who is CEO of the Avedis Foundation, says it's something people need to hear more often.

"Kids do not get that message enough. So to have someone that they admire, that again they see as a role model, someone that they want to be like, tell those things to them. That carries so much weight, even than what a parent might say."

Gary has delivered hundred of presentations to more than 150-thousand people since his NFL career ended in Buffalo. And the journey from player to motivator started at a car wash.

"I opened up the trunk and recognized that there's still bags in there. Tried to clean it, heard a little voice say, "Shamiel, this is what you're doing in your life. You're holding on to baggage that I'm trying to get you to let go of. So I went on this journey of cleaning out my emotional truck, my mental truck."

That all started by finding the quiet.

"I found that true growth is found by sitting by yourself and not trying to distract yourself," says Gary. "And understand that's who you are. So I want to give that same thing to other people."

And no matter what curveballs life throws at you, handle them with calmness and composure.

"A lot of times we have crisis plans. What I want to do is prepare before things hit the fan," says Gary. "I think sometimes you get so busy trying to thrive, that you get to a point that you don't even realize it, that you're actually surviving. Because you never paused to check in with yourself. You never paused to look at, am I even on the right path?"

The Shawnee football team helped run the camp sessions alongside Gary, and Wolves head coach Jason Madonna says his players are learning a different valuable life lesson on the turf of Jim Thorpe Stadium.

"Not all of them are going to be NFL football players. Some of them are going to be business owners, or employees, or CEOs, or lawyers, or doctors, you name it," says Madonna. "So for them to understand the hard work and dedication it takes to be successful in all aspects of your life, using football as an avenue, is an extremely important lesson."

And as Gary is back on the field again, he's hoping his message, and story, resonate with the future leaders of tomorrow.

"Most people are underdogs. If you can see yourself in me, it makes my message more relatable and more impactful."