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Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Donnie Edwards was a little blown away by the reception he received from the students and teachers at Hyde Elementary School Wednesday afternoon on his visit.

No one painted Tyler Armstrong’s face with a red-and-gold arrowhead. He wore no Chiefs paraphernalia as he stood in the Hyde Elementary School gymnasium.

“I’m not really a Chiefs fan,” Tyler said. “I guess I’m kind of a Green Bay fan.”

But the sixth-grader’s allegiances shifted a little Wednesday when he lined up in football formation next to Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Donnie Edwards.

Mr. Edwards lofted a few passes to Tyler, who cradled the last perfectly as the rest of his class cheered.

“The best part was making the catch,” Tyler said. “That was good.”

Mr. Edwards starred during the “NFL Take a Player to School” day at Hyde, which also receives $2,000 out of the deal for its sports and fitness programs.

The Hyde students owed Mr. Edwards’ presence to Julia Obermyer, a 12-year-old sixth-grader who won a drawing with J.C. Penney to earn the visit.

“I feel like I’ve been famous, too, the last couple of days,” Julia said. “It’s been so exciting.”

Before Mr. Edwards played catch with Julia, Tyler and their class, he spoke at an assembly to the entire school. He hit on a few life lessons for the rapt audience.

Nutrition and fitness were the key themes for the event. Mr. Edwards repeated some lessons he follows himself: “I see some of you guys yawning. If you see me yawning when I’m lined up across from Brett Favre, then you’re probably going to think, 'He didn’t eat right, did he?’” And he repeatedly told them to look at the ingredients of everything they eat: “If you can’t read it, don’t eat it.”

He also hammered the need for goal-setting. “If you don’t set goals for yourself, you’re running in place. There’s no purpose behind you.”

Work hard. “If you take the attitude of being the best from the field to the classroom, then you’ll succeed. Whether it’s in the classroom or sports or in relationships, give 100 percent.”

And listen. “I was your age, in a classroom like this, when I decided that I was going to go to a good college. So I was one of the guys who was listening, and it made a difference in my life.”

It all delighted Hyde principal Janeen Boyer.

“He said all the right things,” she said. “That’s what we’re always telling them. I like having it come from a famous person.”

The afternoon ended when Mr. Edwards gave Julia and her family — father David, mother Janie, 5-year-old brother Josh — a ride home in a limo.

Scott Pummell can be reached

at scottp@npgco.com