Former NFL quarterback Jack Thompson returned to his Alma Mater, Evergreen High School in White Center on Friday, March 25, to present the student body with a golden football from the National Football League. The NFL, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Super Bowl, gifted a golden football to the high school of every NFL player who has ever played in any Super Bowl.

Jack, a Vice President at Umpqua Bank in Seattle, was a standout quarterback at Evergreen. He went on to play at Washington State University (WSU), where he became the most prolific passer in NCAA history. Jack threw for 7,818 yards and set PAC-10 records for most attempts, most completions, and most TD passes. He also completed a bachelor degree (BA) in Business Administration while at WSU.

Drafted 3rd overall in the 1979 draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, Jack played in Super Bowl 18. During the presentation, before the entire Evergreen student body, Jack reminisced that the game was played in minus 16 degree weather, the coldest Super Bowl ever played. He mentioned that two weeks previously, the Bengals played a play-off game where it was minus 62 degrees, the coldest NFL game in history.

Jack also shared with the Evergreen student body how when he was interviewed as a senior there by a sports journalist, Jack mentioned that his life goal was to play in the NFL as a quarterback. The journalist responded that it was very unlikely as he was a "colored boy" Jack, who was born in Tutuila, American Samoa, whose family still lives in White Center, went on the prove the journalist wrong. He credited the positive influence from his dad for his success. Jack shared that his dad emphasized that each of us is responsible for our future and we have to work hard for successes in life.

Jack has been a youth mentor for decades at Evergreen, and in true youth mentoring fashion, after the presentation of the football by Highline School District Superintendent Susan Enfield and several student leaders, Jack invited the Evergreen boys baseball team together for a meeting to discuss the importance of getting good grades are an important requirement of sportsmanship. The boys were clearly mesmerized by Jack and his empowering discussion. Dr. Enfield mentioned that the close partnership between Highline School District and Jack's positive influence with youth will continue.