Louisa football star returns home to teach Black history

LOUISA COUNTY, Va. - Competition meets comprehension in Louisa.

Which civil rights activist tried to spread peace through non-violent acts?

how long did the Montgomery bus boycott last?

What Richmond department store was the site of sit-ins by the Richmond 34?

Those might be questions kids got during the Black History Month trivia contest at Louisa County Public Schools over the last two years.

It is a competition Kerry Wynn brought back to Louisa.

"Being able to learn and compete in something is a twist for the kids and I think it's something that they enjoy, and I personally enjoy watching them learn," Wynn said.

Wynn knows a thing or two about competition. The 2009 Louisa High School grad played football for the University of Richmond before becoming a defensive lineman in the NFL.

AP Photo/Bill Wippert

But before all that, he won this Black History Month trivia contest in the 5th grade.

"So being able to learn that and compete against one another," Wynn recalled. “At the end of the day, everybody wants to win, but being able to learn something they didn't know before is what it's all about."

"Kerry's a great football player, but I would say, far more important, is that Kerry's a great person,” Louisa Schools Superintendent Doug Straley said. “And he's a positive role model and someone who always puts others before himself."

The trivia competition is funded and sponsored through the Kerry Wynn Why Not Me Foundation.

Its mission is to provide young students with a platform to maximize their academic ability while building character.

Building knowledge about Black history is Building Better Minds.