Though mostly known for his athletic feats on the football field, Corey Webster considers himself a father first before any other accomplishments. Focused and driven, Corey is intent on being the best father he can be and impacting the community of Baton Rouge in lasting ways. His passions are teaching others and learning from others, which have molded him into a humble, disciplined, and patient man. Though the saying goes, “You should never meet your heroes,” in this case, anyone who has looked up to Corey Webster the football player will not be disappointed in meeting Corey Webster the person.

How did you meet your wife?
C: I’ve known her for a long time, since we were four or five. She came to my t-ball games. I picked on her when we were in religion class together in middle school.

Tell me about your children.
C: My oldest is very calm, which is not like me or the other two. All of them are into sports. My oldest is a black belt in karate. They’re great kids. The next two are more like me, very active. They each take pride in helping each other.

What’s your favorite time of day?
C: All day. I’m always going. Every day is a blessed day, and the miracle has already happened. I truly live by that.

If your life were a song, which song would it be?
C: “Easy Like Sunday Morning” by the O’Jays. It takes me somewhere, just soulful.

Three things you always have with you?
C: I always have a cross on my neck, wallet, and my wedding ring.

Three words to describe yourself?
C: Energetic, learner, and humble.

How would friends describe you?
C: Energetic and non-stop. Probably as a perfectionist who always pays attention to detail.

First thing you notice about people when you meet them?
C: Their smile and eye contact. I look in their eyes to see what kind of energy they bring and see if they have any ulterior motives.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?
C: Probably that my #1 accomplishment is kids, not Super Bowl rings or the national championship or a degree. None of those things are above my kids. My children are my trophies.

Most recent proud parenting moment?
C: I was in the gym with my five-year-old this past weekend, and a guy that was training for the NBA told me that my son is a critical thinker. That was pretty cool.

Last daddy fail?
C: I’m kinda hard on them. I have to make sure I’m not being overly hard on them. My middle son will let me know when I need to calm down. I have to make sure I keep that balance.

Hardest thing about being a dad?
C: Letting go sometimes. Finding that right village to put them around and then letting go, so you can let them develop themselves in that village and become their own little people.

Number one rule that your kids aren’t allowed to break?
C: No lying. We can talk and communicate through anything. We don’t have to lie. We don’t spank anymore, so there’s no reason to not talk about what’s going on.

What’s something parents shouldn’t feel guilty about?
C: Not losing themselves in their kids. We should always keep our identities. That’s going to help us be better parents.

What good habit do you have that you would like to pass on to the kids?
C: Discipline and being a lifelong
learner. I don’t want them to ever stop learning. You’re never too young or too old to learn.

How do you feel about your sons playing football?
C: None of them have wanted to play. My oldest doesn’t want anything to do with it. I’m cool with that because it’s a violent game. I want them to be competitive at whatever they’re doing whether it’s school or karate. One of the reasons that I retired early was having a conversation with Tony Dorsett before he came out with his CTE. I have three boys so I wanted to be able to play and work with them. With all the information out there, I don’t want to say that I don’t want them to play football, but I’ll support them if they do or don’t.

What’s one thing you must do every day or else you feel your day won’t be complete?
C: I pray every day, all day. I pray before I proceed in anything. 

How did you react when you found out you were going to be a dad?
C: Very excited and happy. The actual birth happened my last week of football at LSU. We were preparing for the Outback Bowl in Orlando, and Coach Saban put me on a flight back to witness the birth of my firstborn. 

What’s your parenting style?
C: It’s all related to sports. I’m very disciplined. I pick up what I’ve been exposed to and then put my coolness on top of that. Discipline, honesty, and consistency are very important. I translate those habits into my parenting style. 

What’s one piece of advice you often give your children?
C: Be honest with yourself. It’s so easy to have the “poor me’s.” I always want them to have positive self talk. You’re never as bad as they say you are or as good as they say you are. You’re always working to be the best version of yourself.

What has parenthood changed about you? 
C: Everything. The decisions I made before were only for myself, but after you have children, they come first. All three have to come at the head of the decisions I make.  

What’s the best parenting advice you have ever received?
C: Kids will learn everything you teach them. They’re sponges.

What’s one thing your kids have taught you?
C: A lot. I’ve learned more from them than I’ve taught them. I see myself in them. Whether it’s my tone or the way I walk, I can’t ask them to do things that I’m not doing myself. Before I can mentor any other kids, I have to be the best example for them first. They’re my accountability partners. 

What advice would you give to other parents?
C: Be patient with yourself and the children. Patience only comes through opportunity. If you pray for patience, God is going to give you an opportunity to use that patience. 

What are your goals for your foundation? 
C: To get kids not only in college, but also to understand what they’re there for. We provide underprivileged kids with programs that will help them and inspire them to go to college. On our preview day, we take 200-300 kids around the LSU campus. Some of these kids may have never thought about going to college, but it gives them the perspective that they can go there. We want to provide a support system while they are on campus. We also have our Be A Sponge reading program.

Why choose to come back to Baton Rouge?
C: I thought it would be cool to come back to my college town where a lot of my maturing happened. In Louisiana, we have a lot of things to improve, so I wanted to help and make some of those things better, especially with our next generation. I spent 10 years in New York, so people ask why I came back to Louisiana. I wanted to bring that knowledge back so kids can know their dreams can come true. I don’t want them to just see me on social media or on television, but I want them to see that I do things in the community, that they can bump into me at the grocery store or at the library. They can catch me at different schools, mentoring, doing our LSU tours. ■