WHEELING, W.Va. (WTRF) — One local athlete took time out of his day to give back to a community that he knows very well. 

After being born and raised in Wheeling, CJ Goodwin is now having a very successful career in the NFL.

Goodwin is currently going into his 11th season and is currently with the Dallas Cowboys.

Today, Goodwin made an appearance at Laughlin Memorial Chapel, where he used to spend much of his childhood, to read to the kids in the Energy Express program. The program’s focus is on reading and writing, and Goodwin made sure they were learning as he asked for volunteers to read by his side.

CJ was humbled to be able to read to the kids and show them that they can be successful no matter what.

”It’s so cool to see the kids light up when you walk in man. They would light up if one of their moms walked in and they would read to the class. So, you know, I don’t have a lot of Cowboys fans in the rooms, but just knowing that they’re football fans and knowing that, you know, I’m someone they notice and they see and they look up to, means the world to me.”

CJ Goodwin – Dallas Cowboys Corner Back

The Energy Express program welcomes a celebrity reader regularly to their program to help the kids develop role models that they can look up to.