NORTH AUGUSTA - Roddy White, wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons, told young people at an appreciation dinner in his honor at Old Macedonia Baptist Church not to wait until the last minute to obtain good grades in school.

"If you can get the grades early, get them early," he said. "And keep them up."

He also encouraged the grown-ups present to stick with the kids and help them along.

"I'm from James Island, a small town like this one," he said. "My mom had to work and the coaches came to pick me up for practice … I made some bad choices and some good ones. But the Lord brought me through all that and put me in the position I'm in now."

White said the reason he stresses grades is because they are what get you where you want to go.

"I wanted to go to South Carolina and Clemson," he said. "But they didn't want me. I used to lie in bed and cry. My mom told me I'd excel one day. What she was speaking of didn't have anything to do with football. But all I wanted to do was play football."

White said he took the SAT nine times. He eventually went to college (Alabama-Birmingham), but he didn't get his degree.

"Football got in the way," he said.

His junior year, he didn't do so well, he said.

"My senior year, it was football. I was hoping I'd play close to home. And then I got drafted by the Atlanta Falcons."

Cheers rose from the audience.

"My mom went, "We did it! We did it!" he said.

But he promised his mom he'd go back to school and he will, he said.

White admits it's special for people to come and watch him perform.

"I hope I can play another 10 years," he said. "If I can stay healthy."

White recorded the Falcons first 1,000-yard receiving season since 1999 when he compiled 1,202 yards on 83 receptions in 2007. His 83 receptions were the fifth-most for a Falcons receiver in franchise history. He ranked fourth among all rookie receivers in 2005.

White lettered in football, baseball and wrestling at James Island (Charleston) High School where he twice earned all-state and All-Low Country recognition for football. He won two state wrestling titles.

Last season, White obtained tickets for 300 area children to attend every Falcons game through CHOICES-LTD, an organization dedicated to helping children excel academically and to qualify for college. Errol Thomas is the director and he and his wife Sabrina are co-founders.

Strom Thurmond Football Coach Lee Sawyer expressed some of the same sentiments as White at the appreciation dinner honoring White for his work with the area children and to raise money for the organization.

"I've been working with CHOICES for about three years," said Sawyer. "And there's no other group I've been with who take the time with young people that CHOICES does. Lots of my players got to attend a game that wouldn't have otherwise." He also warned the students not to wait to get good grades. Too many times I've seen young men get to the 11th grade and want to play and they wanted to do it in reverse, getting the good grades then doesn't work. CHOICES helped me with some of that."

Awards were given out to Ashley Presnell of Fox Creek High School for her letter to White and Thomas; Tra'ves Bush (Football Player of the Year Award) who has a full scholarship to the Navel Academy; Michael Martin who won the Superman Award for his inspiration to others; and Timothy Johnson, Mentor of the Year.

Other parts of the program included a moving rendition of "I've Been to the Mountain Top" by Kevin Johnson; a proclamation from Edgefield Town Mayor Ken Durham; and a poem by Alphonso Richard Jr.