SPORTS

Jets safety talks education, fitness at Madison Junior School

Jane Havsy
@dailyrecordspts

MADISON Jaiquawn Jarrett makes his living crashing into much larger men. Yet the Jets safety was a little intimidated by the packed auditorium at Madison Junior School on Tuesday afternoon.

New York Jets Jaiquawn Jarrett hands off an autographed football to Harding Twp Scholl sixth grader Grant Meyers after the NFL safety spoke about the importance of physical activity and healthy eating to nearly 400 Morris County students and teachers at Madison Junior School kicking off the Jets PLAY 60 Challenge. September 22, 2015, Madison, NJ.

Jarrett admitted, "it's always nerve-wracking" to get up and speak, just before he shared his educational and athletic background with the students. Gym was "my favorite class" while growing up in Brooklyn, Jarrett confessed. But he turned very serious when he said, "School is the No. 1 important thing," and encouraged everyone to pay attention to teachers and "do your homework."

"Getting ready for a game, a lot of our preparation is in a classroom," said Jarrett, detailing a daily schedule that includes about five hours of meetings and two hours of on-field practice.

"We spend the majority of our time in the classroom, learning."

Despite having returned to New Jersey after the Jets' 20-7 victory in Indianapolis at about 4 a.m., Jarrett signed up nearly 400 middle-school students for the Play 60 Challenge, a healthy-living collaboration between the National Football League and the American Heart Association. It is the eighth straight year Madison Junior School has been involved with the four-week program, which encourages students to participate in at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day.

The students were given booklets bearing an action photo of Jarrett in his No. 37 Jets jersey to chart their exercise, including gym class and outside activities.

"I love the fact that it really encourages fitness and healthy eating and other positive behaviors for the kids," Madison Junior School principal Nicole Sherrin said. "Hopefully, it's not just four weeks, but lifelong habits for our young people."

Jarrett pledged to return to the participating schools — Ridgedale Middle and Holy Family Schools in Florham Park, Harding School, St. Vincent Martyr School in Madison, and Madison Junior School — in about a month for a celebration of fitness. On Tuesday, he signed autographs for students who correctly answered trivia questions about him.

Jarrett, who turned 26 on Monday, has played football since age 10. His career highlight so far is the Jets' 20-13 defeat of the Steelers last November, when he had two interceptions, a fumble recovery, a sack, and was in double digits in tackles — and was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week. He has no fantasy football team, but he still roots for Temple University, his alma mater — and also enjoys basketball and soccer. Jarrett majored in criminal justice, and would have become a corrections officer like his mother if he was not in the NFL.

"It's pretty cool they're bringing in a professional football player to support getting fit, and doing physical activity," said 12-year-old Landon James, a sixth-grader at Madison Junior School who beat Jarrett in a best-of-three game of Rock, Paper, Scissors after the presentation.

One male and one female student from each of the five participating schools, plus one wild card from across all the schools, will be randomly selected to lead the Jets onto the field for their game against Miami on Nov. 29.

"If I can inspire one out of the 400, it is important," Jarrett said. "It's not every day I get an opportunity to speak to the youth, to give back, so they can put a face to the name, outside the helmet."

Staff Writer Jane Havsy: 973-428-6682; jhavsy@gannettnj.com; www.dailyrecord.com/writerjane/