A special guest surprised students at Veterans High School on Tuesday afternoon.
Pro athlete Herschel Walker made a surprise visit to the high school from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
After struggling with mental illness, Walker is now a spokesman for the Patriot Support Program in which he provides emotional and motivational support to service members, veterans, and military families by having public speaking events at military installations nationwide, according to the program’s website.
A release from the Houston County Director of Community and School Affairs says the Heisman trophy winner, businessman and author is on a mission to share his story of “resilience” and promote his anti-stigma message.
Walker is sharing his message with the Warhawks in the auditorium then tossing around a football with students on the field.
“There is no shame in asking for help – I did,” Walker said in the release.
A release from Robins Air Force Base says Walker is also visiting organizations at the base on Wednesday to give his personal testimony.
The release says the Air Force ordered a “tactical pause” to promote an open conversation about asking for help between airmen, commanders, and supervisors.
“Whether it's financial help, relationship advice, or coping with life stressors, there are people and organizations readily available to provide assistance,” the release says.
The two-day visit will end after Walker delivers a speech at the Museum of Aviation to Team Robins employees and students from the Houston County School District from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the Century Flight hangar.
From 3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., students get a chance to personally meet Walker, take photos, and get autographs.
The release says the high schools can bring 30 students and chaperones to the speech. A total of 850 people are expected to be at the presentation.