Back in the day, about 30 years ago, I sat in the cramped office at Avondale Agua Fria’s O.K. Fulton Gymnasium and interviewed an up-and-coming young star football player named Randall McDaniel for an article I was writing for The Phoenix Gazette.

He indeed was a good player, a tight end who relied on his athleticism and a linebacker who seemed to be all over the field.

Little did we know at the time that he would go on to become a star offensive guard at Arizona State and a Pro Football Hall of Famer with the Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

On Friday night (Aug. 19), he came full circle, coming back to address high school players who will be playing in Saturday’s (Aug. 20) Sollenberger Classic double-header at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. The event was a banquet at the stadium for the four teams, Bishop Gorman and Moapa Valley of Nevada and Scottsdale Chaparral and Show Low of Arizona.

McDaniel gave the players an idea of what it takes to succeed on the field and in life. He now is a second-grade teacher in the Minneapolis area.

He did it with a tireless work ethic “on the field matched by efforts in the classroom.’’

In his early years at Agua Fria, McDaniel admitted that “school was tough for me. I tended to hide behind athletics. But Mr. Fulton told me the importance of working hard and I later became the first person in my family to earn a college degree.’’

Ron Stanley, an senior offensive lineman for Bishop Gorman, said he had no clue about most of the things McDaniel has done.

“He is a real inspiration, one of the biggest role models you could have,’’ Stanley said.

Chaparral senior linebacker Cody Ippolito said McDaniel “is a big motivator, especially with all of that hard work he put in. He did all those extra reps (repetitions in the weight room), showed that every rep counts.’’

McDaniel had a string of 202 straight starts in the NFL and played in 12 consecutive Pro Bowls.

He was asked why he decided to teach young children instead of trying to coach.

“The students . . . I want to help them,’’ he said. “There are a lot of good men in coaching, but not very many in the classroom at the lower level, particularly men of color.’’

He still rises at 4 a.m. and does an hour of cardiovascular exercise long before a lot of people are stumbling out of bed.  He said that’s just the way he is – he can’t stop.

Kids and high school athletes should feel good that a man like McDaniel has been and continues to be a role model. The world could use more men like him.