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West Chicago basketball player receives Pro Football Hall of Fame honor

One of the best linebackers in NFL history attended an all-school assembly at West Chicago Community High School earlier this month to present a national award to a star athlete.

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers player and Pro Football Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks presented junior Tai Bibbs with a custom jacket and plaque April 15, recognizing him as one of 20 high school students nationwide to be named a finalist for the U.S. Army and Pro Football Hall of Fame's Award of Excellence.

Tai is a basketball player who was named all-conference in the Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division and played a role in earning the school its first boys basketball conference championship.

He is also an honor roll student, a former member of the track team and a part of the Daily Herald's All-Area Basketball Team.

Tai's basketball coach, Bill Recchia, said he wasn't surprised Tai was selected for the award.

“Any accolades that come his way are absolutely well-deserved,” he said. “Tai is a meticulously hard worker. He's always looking to get better, never stays satisfied with the status quo. Not only is he a special athlete, he's a special individual. His academics are off the chart, he's a gentleman and he's a leader.”

Tai will travel to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Ohio in August to attend a ceremony where the national winner will be named.

Brooks took some time during the assembly to teach the students a lesson about the importance of working together as a team to achieve more. He emphasized four keys to success in sports and in life, particularly when working as a team: trust, effort, accountability and motivation.

“I've been playing the game of football since I was 8 years old, so all I knew was teamwork,” he said. “I knew to get anywhere in life, it's going to end up being on teamwork. You can't do it alone.”

Pro Football Hall of Fame Executive Vice President George Veras explained how the award — which honors a variety of athletes of different sports, genders and abilities — is presented by both the hall of fame and the U.S. Army because both organizations are dedicated to the same core values of commitment, integrity, courage, respect and excellence.

“Hopefully the values that they represent, he'll continue to emulate them and other youth can see that, and people within this school itself will see that, and know they can strive for better things and accomplish them,” said Tai's mother, Sarah Bibbs.

Tai's father, Chris Bibbs, said it was hard to express how proud and excited he was to see his son's accomplishments result in a visit from the hall of fame.

“From an early age we saw that he was going to be the one who worked harder than everyone else. Obviously it's been paying off for him,” he said. “I think this is a steppingstone. It's the beginning of many, many great things for him to come because he's an exceptional young man and this is only the beginning. The world is his to lose at this point.”

Tai wants commit to playing for a Division I college basketball team before his senior year begins. He hopes to have a successful college career playing the sport, and eventually wants to become a trainer for a professional team.

“I've grown up playing and watching it, and the more I play, the more it just brings me happiness,” he said. “When I'm on the court, I just forget about everything else and just play the game.”

Junior Tai Bibbs grins after receiving a custom jacket and plaque for being named one of 20 finalists nationwide for the U.S. Army and Pro Football Hall of Fame's Award of Excellence. The award will be presented at the hall of fame in Ohio this August. Courtesy of West Chicago District 94
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