Bibb County teacher looking to use NFL experience to inspire students
Tavon Mason, a former wide receiver for the New York Jets, now serves as a physical education teacher and wrestling coach at Westside High School.
MACON, Ga. — The journey to becoming a teacher can take many paths, and for one Bibb County educator, that path started in the National Football League.
Tavon Mason, a former wide receiver for the New York Jets, now serves as a physical education teacher and wrestling coach at Westside High School. After playing for the Jets in 2002 and 2003 as an undrafted free agent, Mason eventually transitioned into education, where he found a new passion — mentoring students.
Mason once competed at the highest level of professional football, but his transition from the NFL to the classroom had its own set of challenges. However, he said the rewards far outweigh the struggles.
“So being able to tell the kids in school and they were like, ‘You played on the Jets?!’ And they type my name in, and they be like, ‘Yo, you really did play at the Jets.’ So that moment right there is amazing,” Mason said. “Again, it’s a starting point, so it holds them, and then I can talk to them about certain things.”
Beyond teaching P.E., Mason said he works to instill essential life skills in his students, such as punctuality and communication — values he said honed during his football career.
“I’m teaching the kids how to be on time, how to communicate,” he said. “That’s one of our big things. Okay you can’t attend practice? Communicate.”
Mason, originally from Baltimore, Maryland, taught and coached in his hometown before he moved to Bibb County. Since moving to Macon, he began pursuing a master’s degree in education at Mercer University.
Despite the challenges of transitioning from pro sports to teaching, he said he finds fulfillment in seeing his students succeed both on and off the field.
“I think my biggest thing was just to keep pushing,” Mason said. “That’s what I try to tell the kids now, just to keep pushing, even through the hard times.”
Mason hopes his students admire his journey and look up to him as both an educator and a mentor and that his NFL experience gives him a unique way to connect with and inspire young athletes.
The most rewarding part of his job, Mason said, is hearing from former students who have gone on to do well.
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