'Find your dream': NFL rookie lineman comes home to share journey with Peoria school kids

Journal Star - 1/26/2022

Jan. 27—PEORIA — Kendrick Green sat in a chair, holding off a rush of questions from students spread out in front of him like a line of scrimmage.

No small task even for an NFL offensive lineman, but one the Pittsburgh Steelers center loved Wednesday morning at Children's Home Kiefer School/Academy for Autism in Downtown Peoria.

"I'm nervous," joked the Peoria native, who reached out to the school and asked if he could visit. "First time doing something like this."

Green met in groups with about 50 students aged 6-21, talking to them about perseverance, pursuing goals and education. He also read a book to the youngest among them.

They peppered him with questions, got autographs and pictures with him in a room decorated with the Steelers logo and colors.

What's your favorite food? "Rumberger's Wings," Green answered.

Favorite sport other than football? "I wrestled, really liked it," he said.

How long have you played football? "I started playing when I was 7," Green said. "When I was in second grade, I had a friend, Abby, and we jumped up to catch a ball and I landed on her and broke her leg. I felt so bad. But we're still friends today."

And on it went. How Green started school at Hines Primary School, and how Laura George — the wife of Children's Home CEO Matt George — was his second-grade teacher. How he went on to Von Steuben Middle School and then Peoria High School and finally, the University of Illinois.

How he doesn't have a car yet. But just recently welcomed his daughter into the world.

How he grew up a Chicago Bears fan.

"Go to college," he told the kids. Find your dream, go to college and finish it. Everyone can do it."

For Green, that dream culminated in the 2021 NFL Draft, selected 87th overall by Pittsburgh and on to a starting slot on the offensive line as a rookie this season.

Green and his teammates had to hold their collective breaths to get into the postseason, needing any outcome but a tie between the Raiders and Chargers in the final week of the regular season to clinch a playoff berth.

Of course, that game was tied up and went down to a last-second kick in overtime that put the Steelers into the postseason.

"I was sitting on my bed watching it," Green said. "We're all on group Facetime, 'Oh my God oh my God.' We thought they were going to tie. If that had happened we wouldn't have made the playoffs. We're all talking to each other, 'No way, of all games, this one ends in a tie.'

"My phone blew up as soon as the game ended."

Pittsburgh went on to face Kansas City in the playoffs and was eliminated. "I think Kansas City will win it all," Green said. "That KC-Buffalo game (last Sunday) was the best game of the year. Incredible."

Green's dream included playing with future Hall of Fame quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who is expected to retire at age 39.

"You know Ben is old," Green said, joking. "But he's a really good dude. I really like him. I told him, 'I think I was 5 when you got drafted.' He's like 'I'm too old for this stuff.'

"He's such a great dude, I'm going to miss him. I'm glad I caught him in his last year."

The 6-foot-4, 315-pound Green said the step up from college football to the NFL is enormous.

"Everybody's really good," he said. "In college, you'll play some teams that have a guy where you got to try really hard. But every down in the NFL they are all good, have to give it your all.

"You see guys on the field you watched as a kid. I remember seeing (Seattle linebacker) Bobby Wagner (in Week 6, a 23-20 OT win for Pittsburgh), he's one of the great ones, coming at me. Just surreal."

Through it all, Green is happy to be living his dream — and to have a chance to share it with some kids back in Peoria.

"But this was my dream as a kid," Green said of playing in the NFL. "I'm blessed to have the chance to do it. I want these kids to know, they can have a dream and do it, too."

Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. Reach him at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @icetimecleve.

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