Hall of Famer Freeman brings messages of teamwork and friendship to La Crosse area Scouts at yearly dinner

Friendship and teamwork are valuable in everyday life, and in areas like sports and the Scouts.

Packers Hall of Fame player Antonio Freeman spoke about friendship in La Crosse on Thursday, as guest speaker at the annual Golden Eagle Gala for area Scouts. Freeman promotes hard work, and team effort among young people, and encourages them to achieve good things.

“Just give ’em encouragement that anything’s possible,” Freeman told reporters at the Cargill Room, where the gala was held. “You might have to change your major. It’s not the worst thing in the world. You know, there are going to be changes in life that happen, through your journey, but embrace them, and don’t be afraid of it.”

Freeman was a Cub Scout as a kid in Baltimore, and says he didn’t get to the Boy Scout level. He played with the Packers, Eagles, and Dolphins during his football career, and was part of the Green Bay team which won Super Bowl 31 in 1997.

The retired wide receiver enjoys hearing fans talk about big plays he and the Packers made on the field. “You know, the people remember you for something positive, something good, ” Freeman said. “There’s a lot of guys that played this game that maybe didn’t have the success that I might have enjoyed during my career, that maybe people don’t have that same expression or reaction to when they see them.”

The local Scouts had their 21st annual dinner to raise money for scouting programs in the Gateway Area Council.