As Robert Ayers stepped to the stage, all eyes in the auditorium focused on the Broncos defensive lineman.
As the keynote speaker for the YESS Institute End-of-Year Celebration, his message resonated with the high school students in the audience because of how well he was able to relate to the group.
“I want you guys to understand where I’ve been,” he said.
Ayers went on to talk about growing up in poverty and some of the “wrong choices” he made when he was the same age as his audience.
He told the students about getting into fights and getting kicked out of schools when he was their age.
But Ayers was able to turn it around and he expressed to the group that included both mentors and mentees from the YESS Institute that if he could do it, so could they.
“I’ve been through a lot of ups and downs and fortunately I’ve made it to where I am,” he said. “It took a lot of hard work and dedication.”
Ayers listed key pieces of advice that he thought helped him become a better person that he started focusing on when he was 14 or 15-years old – the same age as his audience:
“The first one is when you make a decision – something I always tell people is that when it comes to making a decision, ask yourself, ‘Is this what I want to do?’ A lot of times if you’re doing something you don’t want to do, you shouldn’t be doing it.
“The second thing is, ‘What are the consequences?’ When you make a decision to skip school or do whatever, ask yourself what are the consequences. If they’re bad, more than likely, you shouldn’t be doing it.
“The next thing is, ‘Who do my choices affect and how?’ A lot of people might ask, ‘Well, how do my choices really affect other people?’ Well, they do, because if you are getting kicked out of school it affects your parents because it hurts them to see their kids doing that. I know my mother always told me it bothered her because she felt like she didn’t raise me right. That always struck with me and at that age, I knew I wanted to change things.
“The next thing I want to speak to is choosing friends wisely. When I look back on it, I see that when I was getting in trouble at a young age, I realized I had the same types of bad friends. Friends that weren’t going to school, fighting in school, getting kicked out of school. I realized that if I hung around those types of people, that’s what I was going to do. At that point, I knew I had to hang around better people. In high school, I began hanging around better people. I had friends that were going to class, so I went to class too. Good habits rub off on you. Understand that peer pressure is real and it does have an affect to you
“The next thing is, don’t be afraid to be different. Different isn’t always bad. If 100 people are selling drugs and you’re not and you’re going to school, you’re different. But it’s a good different. It’s the right different. At the end of the day, it’ll have a positive effect on your life and on your success. Don’t be afraid to be different at all.”
“Another thing that I keyed on was, ‘Remind yourself of your goals.’ At the age of 14, I knew I didn’t want to make my parents disappointed. I knew I wanted to do something positive. Remind yourself of your goals. Me personally, I write my goals down. In college, there was a kid who was our rival in high school and we played the same position. He went on to college and ended up getting drafted in the NFL. So, what I did was, I took a picture of him getting drafted to the NFL and I put it in my locker. So, for four years of college, I came back and looked at that one picture and told myself, ‘I’m going to be better than that one guy.’ Nothing against him, but I knew what I wanted to do. That was my way of reminding myself of what I wanted to do.
“Another thing is, ‘Know why you’re working.’ It’s hard for people to get up in the morning and come to school. Understand that the reason you’re going to school is to get an education and to better yourself to become a better person and become successful in life. Know why you’re working. Don’t just get up and do things that you don’t understand. And if you don’t know, ask someone else.
“Another thing is, ‘Know you can be great.’ You don’t have to listen to any limitations. Sports-wise, ‘Oh, you’re too small,’ or academically, ‘Oh, you’re not smart enough.’ Don’t listen to that. Know that you can be as great as you want to be. That’s something that I pride myself on. I always told myself that I would be great, no matter what anyone else told me.
“And don’t quit. People that quit, that’s the easy way out. When things get tough, see the things out. When you start sweeping the stage, sweep the whole stage. Don’t quit. If you practice that over and over, it will carry over into your life.
“Lastly, understand that nothing is easy, nobody is perfect, and we always mess up. Understand that things aren’t going to be easy. If they were, everybody would have it. But it’s not. So you have to work, be dedicated and put hours and hours of work into whatever it is. You’re going to mess up. If you fail a test, understand what you did wrong and focus on studying harder. Don’t get too down on yourself. Nobody is perfect.”
Ayers stressed the importance of taking advantage of what a program like YESS offers.
“This is a great program,” he told them. “Continue to push each other, continue to be mentors, continue to work for each other, continue the love and to be there through tough times. I look at myself as a guy who has been in a lot of your shoes. If I can make it, there’s no reason why you can’t either. In whatever profession it is. Whatever you want to be, there’s no reason why you can’t.
Keep fighting, keep working, keep seeing your mentors, your parents and everyone here and I’m pretty sure you’re going to be successful.”
Ayers closed his speech by sharing an inspirational quote that he has tattooed on his arm.
“It’s a quote by Martin Luther King,” he said. “‘The ultimate measure of a (person) is not where you stand at times of comfort and convenience, it is where you stand at times of challenge and controversy.’ What that means is that anybody can be tough when times are easy. But when it gets hard, what are you going to stand for. My mother told me that a long time ago. When her back was against the wall and we didn’t have something to eat or the heat was off in the winter she could have easily gave up, but she kept fighting. Since then, that’s been a quote that I’ve always lived by and I want to leave that with you guys.”
-Stuart Zaas
Tags: Robert Ayers, YESS Institute
repost from last blog
“btw…HI AB ignoring my broncopack brother there”
Lol Sup SW? Long time no see bro.
From last blog.
LBF I just thought it was hilarious. All their talk. All their BS about kicking my a$$and Denver sucking they sure shut up to that. Was priceless. Showed that Faider fans all bark and no bite.
Gotta admit it was really hard to not turn around and kick their a$$ though
Ya…finals nearly killed me haha. Was putting all my effort into studying for ‘em.
Lol that makes sense. Ive been buried in work. Still trying to sort out all the draft bets we got. Because of that I havnt been posting as much as I was. Also not much to talk about lol.
I know. Then suddenly blogs explode at 20:50. It’s like what the hell? lol
That took quite a long time to read. Lol…
sndvl dont know if you saw but I got the package today. Thanks again for doing the contest and the stuff is really cool and much appreciated! Going in my private collection and not to the bar lol.
another repost:
ya ab raider fans just suck in general.
Yeah AB. I posted on the last blog.
Ok sndvl just wanted to make sure.
LBF that they do. I have never heard of or seen a faider fan knocking a mountain lion out with a frying pan like a Denver fan has done lol
GO NUGGETS!
Speaking of Memorbillia, I’d like to know from other bloggers what some of their favorite items are.
I have a lot of Denver Bronco Memorbillia. My favorite though…
I was a sophomore in high school. Pueblo Colorado. One day after school, I rode to the mall with my cousin and her friend. I had a little cash in my pocket, so I headed over to the card/collector store. I purchased a pack of the 93 Collectors Edge. Waited till I got back to the car to open it. Well, as i peeled the foil packaging off I noticed one John Elway. Though it was the back of the card. Thinking cool. Pulled my favorite player. As I went to turn it around, it was “stuck” to the card under it. Imagine my surprise as I peeled the two cards apart and find that my Elway card was autographed….I let out a WHOO-HOO, my cousin almost crashed. Then made fun of me because I was crazy….haha.
Another item I cherish, my Nana sent me a commemorative issue of SI after our 2nd superbowl victory that is also autographed by Mr. Elway.
While I have many items in my collection, those two pieces are two of my faves.
I should mention the mini cowbell I purchased at the playoff game in January as another item…
Way to go AB, congrats once again, job well done.
strand, just for you…and well any of the other bloggers who see it haha. I was experiencing some equipment malfunctions at this show so the volume is all over the place on my guitar and I mess up some lyrics because of it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZT7MYD5lsk&feature=relmfu
Man looks like I missed out on a lot of good blogging tonight,glad everybody is getting along and having a great time!
sndvl,sorry I messed up your post,my (B.F.E.) signature got banned,because I wasn’t allowed to make up another handle( not supposed to have 2 handles at the same time).Wished I could get it back,aggravating putting the periods in!
B.F.E.
http://blogs.nfl.com/2012/05/10/the-jets-get-a-glimpse-of-tebowmania-including-a-poor-dogs-new-name/?module=HP11_content_stream
Four major articles about Tebow today on NFL.COM. On Manning – at least the PM – nada… The great football god gets no headlines and no recognition whatsoever. What’s that???
Moss looking good as a niner. Hope he amputated his prima donna along with the dreadlocks!
DB,funny Tebow changed his dog’s name from Bronco to Bronx,I named one of my Pittbulls T-bo,thought about changing it to T-bone,but didn’t change it,he won’t answer to anything else,he knows his name,plus I’m used to calling him T-bo,he’s my drinkin’ buddy,lol.
PM will make headlines DURING the season.
B.F.E.
LOVING THE LAKERS GETTING WRECKED RIGHT NOW AAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Another brick for bryant and don’t give me this he is sick card he is always “sick” during some point in the playoffs
Skillz how many other players play when they have the stomach flu? Not a lot let alone dropping 31 points. Kobe cant do it all as he is having to this game. Bynum Gasol and Sessions need to step it up. Game 7 they have Metta World Peace back though.
Hate to tell you skillz,but game 7 the Lakers will win and Kobe will take over,so don’t get your hopes up bro,lol.
Kobe is sick,he took 2 bottles of fluid before the game…you seen when he was not sick,43 points!!!
Lakers take it in game 7!!!!!!!!!
31 points and counting when sick for the best player in the league.
Also the Birdman has been given indefinite leave from the Nuggets after county sheriffs went to his house investigating for Child pornography.
World Peace will no doubt help the Lakers take game 7!
31 point with a stomach flu?…..can you say MVP!!!
Birdman should be hung from a big oak tree!!!
Gasol and Bynum have been wimps the last few games. Especially Gasol who has never IMO been that tough in the paint.
They will step it up in game 7.
AB,it’s 1:00AM here,time to hit the hay bro,maybe catch you on tomorrow!
peace out B.F.E.
how come he is sick every year when playoff time comes around i think he is full of you know what….
anyways this game he coulda had the best game of his career wouldn’t have mattered
nuggs arn’t even my team i really don’t have one i am a nba nomad
so i root for teams that play teams i dislike and i root for a few teams cause they have duke players and i root for the thunder cause they used to be my team when they where in seattle but i do however like the nuggets but hopes no hopes here 
NUGGETS WILL WIN THIS SERIES I GUARANTEE
btw kobe will NEVER be JORDAN
I’ll be able to go to sleep tonight. The Nuggets filleted the Lakers. It was a down right beating, Kobe is not as good as MJ ever. #BeatLA!
lol hell yas i got back up in here lol where is turtle hehehe
that cat got skillz
lets play a game
would you like to guess how old i am
Yea wouldnt have mattered cause every other Laker played like crap. Kobe played like a beast as always. Kobe is the #3 best player to EVER play the game.
How bout dem Nuggets!!!!! LA is in trouble. They have plenty to be worried about!
#2 wilt?
tell em sndvl
la might riot for the other reason ahahaha
one more thing Kobe will never win a championship again bank it
#1 Bill Russel #2 MJ # Kobe #4 Wilt
At least LA dont have a player getting in trouble for child pornography……
man that last statement by me was dumb lol
MJ>KB always. This Nuggets team is dangerous… Really. They are learning how to do this and boy is it fun watching!!!
good list ab i like it
Kobe raped a woman, is that better?
so what college would kobe have went to if he decided to go to college ?
Kobe is definitely no Jordan. Not even close. And meta world war won’t make THAT much of a difference. Might even mess their chemistry up.
Regardless, I look for game 7 to be an instant classic.
MJ is better than Kobe in some ways Kobe is better than MJ in others.
MJ had Pippen and Rodman. Kobe had Shaq and wimpy Gasol and i dont care Bynum. MJ was on a better team. Put a good shooter on the team besides Kobe and Lakers will be dangerous.
Hey, at least the Nuggets are a team and have multiple people who can step up and make those baskets. They don’t have to have one player score 50 points to win.