BLOOMFIELD, NJ — A member of the New York Giants football team, defensive end Kristjan Sokoli, visited Franklin Elementary School on Monday, Oct. 22. He spoke to an audience of third- to sixth-graders, and his niece, Keira, was among them.
No doubt many students were in awe of a 6-foot 5-inch man standing before them, and a member of their favorite National Football League team, too.
But Sokoli is a hometown boy, having played football at Bloomfield High School, Class of 2010. He received a full scholarship and played nose tackle at the University of Buffalo. He is in his fourth year of professional ball, currently on injured reserve and will not play this season. He lives in Bloomfield.
“Just because I’m a Giant doesn’t mean I’ve figured it all out,” he told the youngsters. “You don’t have to be an athlete. Whatever you want to do, accept what people are telling you, work hard and be consistent.”
The 30-minute talk included a question-and-answer period. Sokoli later said it was the first time he had ever spoken to an audience of school children.
“You get excited about something, but you have to remember there will be times you hate what you’re doing, but you have to push,” he told the students. “There were a lot of days I hated being in the NFL, but kept working. But if it’s miserable every day, maybe you should change what you’re doing.”
Even in school, he told the children, they might feel like they are wasting their time. But that was not true because they were showing up and willing to learn. It was important, he said, to see the value of things.
“I use to hate science,” he said. “I wish I could go back. You might think sometime is pointless, but later in life you’ll say ‘wow.’ You never know how thing will relate.”
He asked the children to raise their hands if they were bored. About 15 hands shot up.
“Thank you for your honesty,” Sokoli said.
It was now time for some Q and A.
He was asked to name the toughest team he has ever played against. Sokoli said any opponent can be the toughest you will face because it all depends on what kind of team they are that particular day. But when he was in college, and Buffalo played the University of Georgia, a big-time football school, he looked over at the Georgia center.
“The guy looked like a high school center,” he said. “Things are hyped-up.”
A boy raises his hand.
“How much money do you make?” he said.
“Why are you asking that?” Sokoli responded.
Then he addressed his audience.
“If someone asks you an uncomfortable question, ask why they’re asking,” he said. “I don’t live in a mansion. I live with my parents, just like you.”
During his talk, Sokoli had said, to accomplish anything, resilience was important. A student asked what he meant by that. Sokoli said it is when you fail and learn you have been wrong all along.
“But deep-down, you’re going to come back,” he said.
He said on one of the very first plays during a pre-season game, he was injured and out for the year.
“Everything has something that stinks,” he said. “But it shouldn’t discourage you.”
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