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IRVING, Texas - For Bradie James, the value of a good education was made apparent at an early age - good grades and the minor rewards that come with them are nice, but the ultimate payoff is something far greater.
"My dad taught me a great lesson," James said. "Because I would always make all A's. I'd always get $10 for an A or $5 for a B, like some people's moms do, or take you out to eat if you made honor roll. So by sixth grade I was making all A's, maybe one B here and there.
"So he said, 'I'm not going to give you money for your own future. This is about you; you're not doing it for me, you're not doing it for $5 or $10, you're doing it for your own life.'"
The son and nephew of educators, James is now working to make sure Dallas-area children have the same chance at self-improvement as he did. Through his youth initiative, the Cowboys linebacker is sponsoring The James Gang Back-to-School Jam Pack Contest, a chance for 10 local students to win a backpack filled with school supplies and Cowboys' memorabilia. Two grand prize winners will also receive authentic No. 56 jerseys signed by James himself, all to be presented before the first day of school in August.
James is teaming with two local leaders, state senator Royce West and Dr. Henry Conrad, for the giveaway. Each summer James also conducts a youth football camp in his hometown of West Monroe, La., but he said it was important this summer to also stress academics.
"I've always done my football camps in the summertime," James said. "But I'm trying to attack it from an academic standpoint, because when you go to college, you're not just an athlete, you're a student athlete. My whole message is if you can compete on the football field, or the basketball court or whatever your respective sport is, you need to compete in the classroom."
In addition to the superlatives James earned for his play at Louisiana State, he was also honored for his work in the classroom. After his senior year James was named a National Scholar Athlete by the National Football Foundation, and he was a member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll.
Though he now has six NFL seasons under his belt, James remembers well the value of academia.
"A couple years ago we were in the same shoes," he said. "The kids are our future, so you want to help them out as much as possible. Sometimes we forget that some kids don't have a chance to get school supplies. If you don't have school supplies you're starting off on the wrong foot - so we don't want any excuses. We want everybody to have a fighting chance. Just doing a little something like this goes a long way."
To be a part of the contest, fill out an entry form and follow the mailing instructions at BradieJames.net, or text BJ56 to 444888 to learn more. The contest ends Aug. 7.
The James Gang youth-centered initiatives are a part of his Foundation56, which seeks to support and devote resources to changing and saving communities and lives. Its signature program is Soul Survivors, designed to create breast cancer awareness, promote early detection and provide screening opportunities.
On Friday James was on hand in Baton Rouge, La. to present a $40,000 grant to the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, Woman's Hospital and YWCA ENCOREplus. James lost his mother, Etta, a teacher, to breast cancer in 2001.
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Josh Ellis - 
