MANSFIELD — Before he was a professional football player, Roy Hall Jr. was a hungry kid whose father was addicted to heroin.
He shared those details with an auditorium of high school students Thursday morning to remind them obstacles don’t have to stop them from reaching their goals.
“When I tell you I come from nothing, I come from nothing. I come from suffering,” Hall said to students at Mansfield Senior High School.
“I come from people telling me that I ain’t gonna be nothing but another dude just like my Pops.”
Hall gave motivational addresses to Mansfield City’s middle and high school students.
He urged students to think about their future selves and make good decisions today to set themselves up for future success.
“To get from where you are to where you want to go, it’s gonna take some fighting,” Hall told the students.
“It’s gonna take some work and overcoming some things. You have to believe in yourself. You have to believe that what you want to do is going to make a difference.”
‘Every second is a gift,’ Hall tells students
Hall grew up in the Cleveland area. He attended Brush High School, where he played football and graduated with a 3.9 grade point average.
He was a wide receiver for four years at The Ohio State University, a member of the 2002 team that won the national championship at the Fiesta Bowl against the University of Miami.
Hall was then chosen by the Indianapolis Colts in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL draft, a professional career shortened by injuries.
Hall went on to co-found the Driven Foundation, a Columbus non-profit focused on youth outreach, with fellow NFL football alumni Antonio Smith.
In addition to his work with the foundation, he works as a motivational speaker and leadership coach.
But life wasn’t always easy or inspiring for Hall.
Hall said he was around seven years old when he saw his father beat up his mom for the first time.
“By the time I was nine, I had witnessed it at least 20 times and the police had been in my house because I’m calling 911,” he recalled.
After his parents divorced, Hall’s mother worked two jobs in order to provide for him and his younger sister. He relied on school for free breakfast and lunch and endured bullying from his classmates because his family couldn’t afford “flashy” clothes.
At 13, Hall fended off his mother’s abusive boyfriend, who came at them with a screwdriver.
He told students a change in mindset changed the trajectory of his life. By the time he reached high school, Hall was determined to succeed so he could take care of his mother.
Now that he’s done that, his new goal is to empower others — including students at Mansfield Senior High School.
“I’m recruiting and you are my recruits. I’m recruiting to see if I can get the best version of you,” he said.
“Your family needs you right now. You need you right now. Your future you is begging you right now to change it up.”
Hall shared his experiences with grief, highlighting the untimely deaths of former OSU teammate Nick Mangold and friend De’van Bogard.
Principal Kris Beasley said many students are dealing with grief amid the loss of friends and family members — including several students lost to gun violence over the past few years.
Hall told students those losses made him reflect on his own life and its infinite value — even in the midst of hard times.
“Every second, every minute, every hour that you are alive is a gift,” he said.
“As long as your heart is still beating, you can beat the odds. You can be the one to change the family, to change the city, to impact this community.”
After his presentation, Hall chatted with a small group of students who lingered in the auditorium as he took down his vinyl backdrops.
One student asked him about how to handle anger. He suggested trying to find the root cause and addressing it — whether it be sadness or fear or disappointment.
“If you can get to the bottom of why you’re angry, you can take your power back,” he said.
Another student confessed she struggles with anger after the loss of a loved one.
“Let me ask you this, though,” he responded. “If that person was here, how would they want you to act?
“The best way to do it is to honor their life by the way you live yours.”
‘As long as my heart beats… I have a purpose here’
Beasley said he knew Hall’s speech would resonate with students, but even he was surprised at the impact.
“It was like being in church. . . You could hear a pin drop,” he said. “I don’t know how many kids came up to me and said, ‘This was the best guest speaker we’ve ever had.”
Senior Ajahi Evans said Hall’s speech touched his heart and the hearts of several classmates.
“It really connected about my trauma that I’ve been through,” Evans said.
Classmate Trayana Rucker agreed.
“As long as my heart beats, I’m important, and I have a purpose here,” she said, when asked about her biggest takeaway.
Senior Damietrius Jackson Hill said one thing he’ll remember from the talk is that it’s ok to ask for help.
“His words definitely make you reflect on what you’ve been doing and do better,” Hill said.
“It’s not just about doing it about yourself. If you need the help and they can help you, let them help you.”