JACKSONVILLE, Texas — TCU football player, DeShawn McCuin, visited his hometown elementary school to speak to the kids and was welcomed with a surprise; Students lined the halls wearing purple, with posters supporting No. 17.
"It's surreal," McCuin said. "I'm very blessed to be a part of East Texas, especially Jacksonville and East Side. I have a lot of former teachers here, and it's just been a wonderful experience seeing all these kids, you know, making all these posters, it's making wanna cry a little bit."
McCuin is back home after the National Championship Game Monday night. Even though the TCU Frogs lost the game, former student DeShawn still decided to speak to the students of the East End Campus.
"The end result is always gonna be the end result," McCuin expressed. "So, I think the journey is probably the best for me, you know, just living it out with my teammates and being there for four years and graduating, it's been a unreal experience for sure."
This "Welcome home" event came to be because McCuin still keeps in contact with his elementary school teacher, Angella Wooley.
"Ms Woolley was my fourth grade teacher," McCuin said. "I went through a lot growing up from first grade all the way to 12th grade and, you know, she helped me, showed me the ropes, and she's very influential in my life. She's one of my favorite teachers."
"This is why we're in education, to make a difference with these kids and it's easy to make a difference with a child like Deshawn," Woolley said. "We are so proud of him with his accomplishments on the field, but what's most important is the man that he's become off the field."
McCuin graduated from TCU early but will pursue a Masters degree with his final year of eligibility.
