Lions LB Tahir Whitehead Hopes To Motivate Detroit Kids: 'I've Been Where They're At Now'

DETROIT (WWJ) - The typical question students ask Detroit Lions linebacker Tahir Whitehead, he says, is: "How much money do you make?"

But Whitehead, who visited with ninth graders East English Academy in Detroit on Tuesday, said he reminded kids that it's not all about the income.

He stressed that his success in athletics is a result of building a strong foundation and staying healthy.

"To get to where I am today was definitely not easy," Whitehead said. "And I definitely share every bit of my story whenever I can with them, just to relate with them and just let them know I know what they're going through and I've been where they're at now."

The 25-year-old Whitehead, who teamed up with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, visits schools on Tuesdays to share his struggles and success stories with students.

He talked with 40 students this week about getting enthusiastic about life, and making the next four years count.

"It's a fresh start for them, you know?" he told WWJ's Laura Bonnell. "It's their first year in high school. The decisions and choices that they make from this point forward can affect what goes on the rest of their life...and they have an opportunity to control that."

Zaylan Turner was thrilled to meet Whitehead and hear him speak.

"When I see him, it just motivates me, like, to be the best that I can be," Turner said.