Smith, who helped create a scholarship in his name, is he continues to give back to his alma mater.

Stephen A.

Here's one of your former professors with a very special message for you, sir.

Hi, Steven.

It's been a minute, but I still remember those days of you back at Winston Salem State University, not just as a student, but I remember even before I retired, I never called and you said no, whether it was speaking to a group of students or coming to do a promotional video for the university.

Anything we ask of you, you've always done it.

You really took to heart the enter to learn, depart to serve.

And I am so very proud of you as you were a student.

I looked at you and I thought, He's going places.

I'll admit.

Some days I wasn't sure where you were very challenging.

You challenged me as a professor.

You challenged my knowledge.

Some days, you challenged my patients, but that's what good students to do.

They challenged all of us to be better.

And you did that.

I was a better professor because of you.

And now you are such a shining light as part of the Ram early.

I am still proud of you today as I was before, and I look forward to all those great things that you're going to do in the future.

All right, I really want to focus Stephen a on how challenging you were, but this is a feel good moment and we're honoring HBC use Black History Month in all seriousness.

How important has this been for you?

It's everything.

I mean, you know, he's Maryland Roseboro.

That's who you just saw.

And, uh, I call her Mama Rose Burrow because she was like a mom to me when I was at Winston Salem State and she and I still keep in touch to this very day.

I love her so much.

He was such a wonderful teacher.

Um and you know, it's just I think about my time will Coach Gaines and how you know having these surgery cracking My knee capped in half my first year.

They're going through what I went through having to leave school for full eight months before ultimately coming back because my mother's medical insurance would only cover me if I came back to New York.

Because it wouldn't cover me in North Carolina.

All of those different things in her, along with Dr Sadler.

Dr.

Brooks Shore, Professor Larry Little, Uh, list just goes on and on.

Robert Davon.

God rest is so, uh, in telecommunications.

I worked with him.

An internship there.

So many things that I have so much support that I have.

But really, it's about her.

It's about coach games.

She was like a mom to me.

She was always there for me, giving me the guidance to support the heavy hand when I needed I could be hardheaded.

Obviously, um, I had to I had to test the waters to see what I could get away with.

No question about it.

She wasn't having it, but in the end, like she said to me, Coach Gaines used to emphasize the same thing.

You get older and you get more mature, and then you want to give back to the people that gave to you.

And I would always ask them What could I dio?

And they said, Don't forget Winston Salem State.

Don't forget HBC use.

Do for others what we did for you, that's all you need to do and then some.

And I've held on to that my entire adult life.

And that's that's been the number, the number one piece of inspiration that has driven me to strive to give Bacca's much as I possibly can.

And they're absolutely right.

I've always given, and I will continue to give us much as I can whenever I can, primarily obviously to my alma mater, because that's that's where my heart lies.

But also the HBC use everywhere because from historically black colleges and university and what they mean.

So African Americans in this nation throughout its history, uh, there's a lot that a lot of people don't know, And I'm going to do everything that I can to make sure that enlightened folks about what they should know to promote HPC used at every turn and the uplift as many people as I possibly can.

Because if I'm here and I'm not doing that, then what the hell am I sitting here for?

And that's why you know, I know both of you such incredible gratitude and how supportive y'all have been.

You know, Antoine and you know Antoine Louis James Done.

Brian Ball.

Dave Roberts, Norby Williamson, Jimmy Petar.

Oh, everybody associated with ESPN couldn't do it without the ESPN family, and and it definitely starts with you both.

So I really, really appreciate all the support that you all have given me in my quest to, uh, do everything that I can for hbc use.

And I thank you.

I really I'm grateful we're doing this.

I'm glad everyone gets to see this other side of you, and I really applaud your loyalty, and I just love that, she said.

You tested people's patients even as a young whipper snapper and speaking of young bucks, Stephen a running wilder on that campus on the basketball to put that picture back up, E need to see the picture again.

Hey, had a hairline?

Goodness.

Hey, Max.

As far as I'm concerned, the one thing I can say is I do believe I have aged gracefully.

I think I look a little better than I ain't gonna lie.

That that's just how I feel about it, because I feel about Thanks for watching ESPN on YouTube for live streaming sports and premium content.