Tim Dwight models motivation, persistence to elementary students

IOWA CITY - It wasn't his size or even his speed that propelled Tim Dwight onto the Hawkeyes or into professional football.

'You have to be motivated,” Dwight said Monday, speaking to students at Mark Twain Elementary in Iowa City. 'When you get those opportunities, what do you do with them? You've got to grab them and run with them.”

The former kick and punt returner spoke about perseverance and dedication to about 400 students at the school, 1355 Deforest Ave.

'I was a kid just like you,” said Dwight, who attended Twain. 'I was just like you when I came through here.”

His message resonated with Arianna Dyson, 8, who said her own diligence in class is similar to Dwight's on the field.

'It's kind of like school - you have to work hard to get to the top and to get to your goal,” Arianna said.

Before meeting Dwight, the school's prekindergarten through sixth-graders were also greeted by a tiger mascot, waving and dancing and high-fiving them as they filed into the gym.

The costume, donated by Dwight, is the first proper one the school has ever had, said Principal Jeremy Negus. Before, they had an old pair of tiger-stripe pajamas.

'Our kids come from all different backgrounds; what's guaranteed at Twain is a place they can feel pride, a place they can feel safe,” Negus said. 'The mascot is a symbol of something they can be proud of.”

Dwight - who played on several NFL teams and is known for his 94-yard touchdown return during Super Bowl XXXIII as a member of the Atlanta Falcons - stressed to students that being diligent means weathering setbacks.

The Falcons lost that Super Bowl game to the Denver Broncos 34-19.

'Those downtimes teach you a lot of stuff,” he said. 'They teach you that you're resilient and strong.”

Educators at the school said they hope Dwight's story motivates students.

'It helps them understand the importance of hard work and what hard work can do for you,” said Beth Bonner, who oversees professional development at the elementary school. 'I think the concept of persistence is really important.”

For Joshua Alvarenga, 8, the message seemed to have stuck.

'You should never give up,” Joshua said after the assembly. 'And start working hard.”