BATON ROUGE — NFL Hall of Famer Robert Brazile spoke to capital-area student athletes at Glen Oaks High School on Thursday.

Students from Glen Oaks, Istrouma and McKinley high schools were able to attend the "Heart of a Hall of Famer" event, where Brazile spoke about leadership, perseverance and excellence on and off the field. 

"I always remember back when teachers helped me, or the coach that helped me, or the preacher that helped me, so if I can touch a kid in the smallest way, it may influence them to do something right," Brazile said.

He played linebacker for the Houston Oilers from 1975 to 1984 after a standout college career at Jackson State. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2018.