Bowmar Elementary third-grader Harber Williams introduced a special family friend, New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Kaleb Eulls, to sixth-graders at his school Tuesday afternoon.

Williams’ father Matt Williams was Eulls’ football coach at Yazoo County High School, and Harber called Eulls his brother during the introduction. Matt Williams now coaches at Warren Central High School.

Harber Williams’ mother Emily Williams, a special education teacher at Bowmar, helped set up the meeting as a part of series of speakers discussing their careers.

“My husband was his head coach, so I was the was the one there helping take care of all the boys,” she said. “They would come eat supper and that’s just what you did as the coach’s wife.”

Eulls said he was there to talk to the students about how to be successful.

“It starts here and now, in school,” he said. “You try to be respectful and you try to do the best you can do so you can be successful. Maybe you want to be a professional athlete, a doctor, a journalist or anything you want to do, just work hard toward it, and I promise you guys you’ll be successful.”

Eulls said as an elementary school student he liked to talk and have fun, but once he hit seventh grade, he realized getting in trouble wasn’t going to help him achieve his goals.

“One goal I always had was to was to make the best grades I could,” he said. “I graduated with a 3.3 GPA and a 24 on my ACT. I knew that’s what it took to get to what I wanted to get to.”

Growing up, Eulls said he didn’t have a lot as one of five children of a single parent.

“We didn’t have a lot of money, and we were homeless at one point,” he said. “The words of my mom encouraged me to keep on going even when things were bad. That’s why I’m glad I got the chance to do what I’m doing, because I also got my momma out of the situation that we were once in.”

Eulls said it was always a dream of his to play professional football.

“Not only do I get a chance to do what I love and always wanted to do, but I also get to help out others and support my family,” he said. “I also get to give and come back and talk to students.”

Eulls, an alumnus of Mississippi State University, said he chose the school because he’s always enjoyed underdog teams.

“I had scholarships to Alabama and LSU, but I went to Mississippi State because people felt like it couldn’t be done there,” he said. “When I was there we went to five bowl games, won three and we were ranked number one for five weeks straight. Things people think they can’t do, they can be done.”

Guidance counselor Pam Parman has facilitated a series of speakers to come in and speak to sixth-graders about their careers.

“I have them talk about their careers: their personal journeys, successes, failures, education and how they use leadership,” she said. “I think in sixth grade they need to start hearing about careers.”

Parman said speakers have given insight on subjects they enjoy, giving students the opportunity to put themselves in the shoes of someone who has a career they may be thinking about.

“The kids have been responsive,” she said. “They’ve been very engaged. We’re just trying to spark that interest and get them thinking.”

As a parting word advice to the sixth-grade class, Eulls encouraged them to pursue their dreams, no matter how lofty they may be.

“Whatever dream or goal that you guys have, whatever your heart desires that makes you happy, it’s there for you guys,” he said. “Don’t let anyone discourage you or tell you can’t do what you what you want to do because you can as long as you put in the time and the effort to do what you want to do.”