PORT ARTHUR — Breakfast with an NFL star. How cool would that be?

In an effort to get students to understand the importance of eating breakfast, the Port Arthur Independent School District is promoting Breakfast with Heroes this week. Justin Babineaux, Port Arthur native and a player with the Seattle Seahawks visited Sam Houston Elementary in Port Arthur Thursday for National School Breakfast Week to promote breakfast so children will be more healthy and perform better in class.

“Did everybody eat? Did y’all save me some or do I have to go to McDonald’s?” Babineaux joked with the students upon arrival.

He then gave his background of attending Booker T. Washington Elementary, Woodrow Wilson Middle School, graduating Lincoln High School in 2000 and graduating Southern Arkansas University in 2004 with a degree in broadcast journalism.

Babineaux then signed as a free agent with the Seahawks in 2004. He’s been with the team ever since.

He reminded the students of the TAKS test approaching and the importance of eating breakfast to do well on the test.

“Y’all have some important tests coming up. Breakfast helps you get up in the morning and get to school on time,” Babineaux said. “It’s the first meal of the day. You break your fast while you sleep. Your brain sends a message to your body it’s time to eat and it gives you the energy to start your day.”

He then had the numerous, enthusiastic students yell “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” and “I will pass the test.”

Babineaux said he always comes home to Port Arthur when he can and tries to speak to students when he’s home. He scheduled to speak, in fact, at Memorial High School on issues of self-motivation and peer pressure.

Stephanie Turkel, director of child nutrition for PAISD said the promotion this year includes cartoon superheroes such as Mr. Breakfast, YoGurl and Crunch along with inviting local heroes like Babineaux. Last year’s theme was the blast off in space campaign.

The Houston campus has an enrollment of 1,030 students and nearly 500 students eat breakfast there every morning. Turkel said they have four choices offered to them: cereal, breakfast tacos, French toast and frittatas — an omelet wrapped in a tortilla with the choice of juice, milk and fresh fruit.

Turkel added all PAISD students can receive a breakfast every morning at no charge. Travis Elementary has even more students for breakfast averaging between 800 and 900 every morning.

Janet Scott, child nutrition department supervisor knew Babineaux and his siblings when they were students in PAISD.

“Jordan came through my lunch line at Washington (Elementary). Jonathan, his brother, has been here before (at Houston Elementary),” Scott said.

dball@panews.com