Last week, students at Dallas’ Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts went crazy when actor and comedian Kevin Hart strode into the school’s auditorium and declared himself Principal for the Day. Some kids screamed, some cried and many sat speechless listening to words of encouragement from their favorite performer.
Hey Booker T., Lake Highlands feels ya. Times two.
In 2008, LHHS was preparing to enter the playoffs in both football and volleyball, so then-principal Walter Kelly, now leader at Highland Park High, called a pep rally.
Students were agog when actor Will Smith and then-Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo entered the gym to rev up the crowd. Romo shared lessons learned overcoming injuries – he had recently broken his right pinkie and our own Wildcat quarterback, Ricky Zorn, had a serious injury to his right throwing arm. Smith, in town for his movie, Seven Pounds, implored athletes to “play from your heart.”
“Go out and change something,” Smith told rapt students.
In the band hall behind-the-scenes, the two celebrities took personal time with the captains of the playoff teams, band, cheerleaders, Bell Boys and coaches.
The Cinemaholic says Will Smith has 8 upcoming movies. He’ll star in a live action version of Aladdin as the genie in 2019.
Tony Romo will be featured in the Emmy-nominated series A Football Life on September 28th at 7 p.m. on the NFL network. Sports Illustrated named him Media Person of the Year in 2017 after his rookie season broadcasting games for CBS.