Children at Redmond Elementary School might not have fully grasped the enormity of what happened Tuesday in Washington, D.C.

Yet only an hour after Barack Obama became the first black president of the United States, NFL star Mack Strong made a guest appearance at Redmond Elementary and shared his thoughts on how this seemingly impossible dream had come true.

Fourth-grade teacher Rozalyn Strong introduced Mack, who is her brother. He spent 15 years with the Seattle Seahawks, she proudly remarked. He played in Super Bowl XL, was twice invited to the Pro Bowl and was chosen five times by his teammates as Player with the Most Heart. He retired in 2007 after a serious injury.

But Mack Strong didn’t come to the school to talk about football.

“This is a historic week,” he noted. “We’re here to celebrate the birthday of one of the greatest men in the United States that ever lived — Martin Luther King. I wasn’t even born when he was alive … I couldn’t say that I was there or witnessed the abuse or the oppression … but the ripple effect of his impact is still felt today. … He talked about how to unite our country, to have the ability to love all people and instill in all people how to be a winner. I want to be a winner, not just in sports but in life.”

Mack explained his three-step plan for success.

First, he said, “You gotta have wacky dreams. What does wacky mean?”

Kids threw out several guesses: “Kinda weird.” “Totally awkward.” “Crazy.”

That’s exactly what Mack meant.

“You had the opportunity this morning to witness the inauguration of the first African-American president. That was a wacky dream, a crazy dream in the ’60s, when people of color could not sit at the same table or drink from the same fountain as whites,” he pointed out.

“When I was in the sixth grade, I had this wacky dream I would play in the NFL. No one in my town had ever played in the NFL or won a college scholarship to play football.”

Secondly, he told the kids, “You have to have ‘I CAN’ goals” — whether the goal is to become a better reader, to master mathematics or go to college.

“One of the platforms of Barack Obama was ‘YES, WE CAN,’ but I want you to have ‘I CAN’ goals of your own.”

Most importantly, “Never give up,” he urged. “Many people have had wacky dreams. Our president is one of them. Where a lot of people get tripped up is through the day-to-day follow-up. If you have a dream that is burning bright and hot inside your heart and soul, I want you to never give up.”

And dreams aren’t just for youngsters, he added.

When a student inquired, “Have you ever had a diary?,” Mack responded, “Yes, I keep a journal even today, when I write down my thoughts and my goals.”