NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Hampton Roads is fortunate to have countless athletes who have gone on to the highest level of their craft, but still return to help their local communities. Plaxico Burress is one of those local products.
Burress and former Commanders linebacker LaVar Arrington visited the Azalea Inn and Time Out Sports Bar in Norfolk on Thursday to help honor a local youth football team. The two former NFL stars presented a $2,500 check to the 757 Colts on behalf of Azalea Inn and Pace-O-Matic, a company that develops skill games, some of which sit in the inn.
"Not a lot of these youth football teams have funding, knowing that first-hand growing up here" Burress pointed out. "We're just trying to give back in the best way we know how just to help try to improve any way we can."
"It's a beautiful thing," Arrington said of giving back. "It's something that I've always been passionate about and it's always nice when people are aligned and lock step with how you feel about the communities that you serve."
Arrington and Burress have partnered with Pace-O-Matic and Arrington says he's heard from small business owners how skill games have been helpful.
Burress was a 1996 graduate of Green Run High School in Virginia Beach. He would star at Michigan State and enjoy an NFL career from 2000-2013, winning Super Bowl XLII with the New York Giants. Whenever an opportunity comes up to serve the community in which he grew up, Burress says he comes running.
"To come back and be able to give back is something that when I was asked to do it, I'm dropping everything that I have to do in my schedule to make sure I can go back, put my face on it and continue to support where I'm from and my community," the former Stallion said.
Now Burress and Arrington are in positions to serve as role models for young players like those on the 757 Colts.
"I was blessed to get paid a king's ransom to play a kid's game," Burress said. "When they ask what are the things I miss about the game, I got to be a kid for four hour and I think that's one of the things that we all miss the most."
"That's the cool thing about it is every single kid I see, I see me," added Arrington. "We all have needed to have someone that plays a major part in inspiring us and giving us the bravery or the thought to aspire to be and be motivated to do it. I see it in all of them so I just try to be that spark plug."
Burress and Arrington hosted a podcast at the venue on Thursday afternoon and signed autographs for fans. Both also took time to speak with coaches and players of the 757 Colts.
