Spencer Paysinger, a Super Bowl XLVI champion linebacker with the New York Giants, will visit Northwest on March 16 to share his story of living in South Central Los Angeles and taking it to the hit CW and Netflix series, “All American.” (Submitted photo)

Northwest Missouri State University and its Student Activities Council will treat the campus community to the firsthand account of a real-life athlete who inspired a beloved television character and how he realized his dreams and potential.

Spencer Paysinger, a Super Bowl XLVI champion linebacker with the New York Giants, took his own poignant story of living in South Central Los Angeles and playing football at Beverly Hills High to the hit CW and Netflix series, “All American.”

He will share his story at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 16, in the Charles Johnson Theater at the Olive DeLuce Fine Arts Building. The lecture is free and open to the public

Like the “Spencer” character based on his life, Paysinger grew up amid the drugs, gangs, violence and poverty of South Central L.A. with education-focused parents and a dream of going to college. A promising athlete who played four sports but excelled in football, he was offered the opportunity to attend elite Beverly Hills High School, going on to lead the football team as a captain to an undefeated season.

A scholarship to the University of Oregon followed, and Paysinger became team captain and was part of the team’s first undefeated season. Graduating with a bachelor’s degree in economics, he began his NFL career with the New York Giants, winning Super Bowl XLVI during his rookie season. Paysinger played seven seasons with the Giants, Dolphins and Panthers.

In 2017, a few months after pitching “All American,” he retired from football to pursue his dream of developing television and film concepts focused on the Black experience in America. Within four months of retiring, he was shooting the pilot for “All American.” Now a sought-after writer and producer, Paysinger has written and developed various concepts under his Moore Street Productions banner with Uninterrupted and Deviants Media Studio.

Committed to leveraging his success to create opportunities for young people, Paysinger serves on the board of KIPP Public Schools’ Black and Latino Leadership Committee, with the goal of creating programs for KIPP’s South Central youth. He also serves on the board of Lyft’s City Works Council, which dedicates $50 million a year to support locally-driven community initiatives. Additionally, Paysinger is a co-owner of Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen, a fast-casual eatery with allegiance to underserved communities.

Northwest’s Student Activities Council plans and administers activities for students to contribute to a more well-rounded social, recreational and cultural life on the Northwest campus and its community. For more information about SAC and its programming, visit www.nwmissouri.edu/getinvolved/sac/ or follow SAC on Twitter with @NW_SAC or https://www.facebook.com/NorthwestSAC.