"Ronnie Brown plays in front of thousands of people every Sunday, but now he is standing in front of 400 eighth graders at the New Renaissance Middle School in Miramar, and he's fidgeting.

Brown isn't compelled by the Dolphins to be here. He's not paid to be here. Brown has chosen to be here. His teammates are off from work this day so they might be Christmas shopping or recovering from the past 12 Dolphins games or simply disconnecting from a season that hasn't gone exactly right.

Not Brown.

Even on his day off he's doing what he knows: running toward a goal.

He's telling these still pliable preteens about his 23 ways to stop youth violence. That is the assignment the Ronnie Brown Project has grabbed on to with the same enthusiasm Brown snatches handoffs."