As senior John Brand begins his third year on varsity football, he continues the Adopt an Athlete program for the third time as well. The program is for high school students on athletic teams to go to a local elementary school and hang out with the kids to be a role model.

To Brand, the Adopt an Athlete program isn’t just about going and having fun with the kids. It about understanding his role in the community.

“You see how much it means to these kids, that you’re showing up and you’re interacting with them because they’re, the little boys at least, are going to be the next guys on that field,” Brand said.

Brand has been playing football since he was 6. Today, he is a three-time starting defensive lineman on varsity. He’s been offered football scholarships from Columbia, the United States Military Academy, the United States Naval Academy, the United States Air Force Academy and the University of the Incarnate Word.