Coming out of high school, Savon Huggins possessed a bright future in football.

The former St. Peter’s Prep (Jersey City, N.J.) standout was the No. 1 running back recruit in the country before committing to play at Rutgers.

Huggins struggled to establish himself at Rutgers before missing the 2014 season due to injury. He later transferred to Northern Iowa for the remainder of his playing career.

While Huggins’ football career might not have developed as many thought it would, his academic career blossomed. He graduated from Rutgers early and earned a Masters degree from Northern Iowa in just one year.

Now a high school football coach and personal trainer, Huggins recently spoke to students at Edison High School (N.J.) about consistent preparation as a foundation for success in the classroom.

Huggins touched on three key points in his speech: intentions, homework and surroundings.

“As high school students sometimes we fall victim to not knowing what our purpose is so school isn't really important to some, but we established a common goal, going to college,” said Huggins in an Instagram post.  

He also emphasized the importance of homework, stating that it “teaches accountability and responsibility to prepare you for life.”

Another point Huggins made was being successful in the classroom takes months of hard work. It’s not something that happens overnight—a concept of delayed gratification that echoes through football fields across the country.

“That SAT you take, you don’t get a grade on that because you so happen to study for it before it comes up,” Huggins said.  “That's your whole life... from elementary school to middle school to freshman and sophomore year of high school.”

Not only does preparation matter in the classroom, it also does on the field. As he notes in his LinkedIn profile, Huggins has learned to manage his time, communicate with peers,  learn from mistakes, not be afraid to ask questions—all skills that can be sharpened on the gridiron.