After the stretch limo finally pulled up to the Good family home in Cheektowaga and Bills

linebacker Paul Posluszny stood smiling in the living room, there was a moment of awe and

silence.

Then, family members did what came naturally: Texting friends, posing for pictures,

whispering how big his feet seemed in shiny black shoes, asking about football, Facebook and

why he cut off the blond hair that fell to his shoulders.

"It was fun for a while," Posluszny said about his hair, "but it got to be a pain."

It was Wednesday morning, and going to school with the three-year veteran out of Penn State

was the first prize in a contest sponsored by Pepsi and Tops Markets. Posluszny had come to

pick up the two Good children and take them to Depew Middle School. Billy, 11, whose

grandmother had won the outing with Posluszny by buying a Pepsi brand product, sat shyly on

the couch, watching his family get to know "Poz."

"I like it," he said. "It's exciting."

Sister Lauren, 13, busily tapped cell phone texts to a friend waiting at school. For proof,

she added a picture of the dapper 6-foot-2-inch Posluszny. Two friends with her handed over

their I Football T-shirts for an autograph after Lauren gave them courage and did it first.

Billy took Posluszny to see his room.

The linebacker nodded approvingly and looked around at the hockey sticks and the giant,

arching yellow Sabres logo Billy's mother put up on the wall above the bed. Posluszny, a

Pennsylvania native, explained that he was just starting to get into hockey since he was

drafted by the Bills in 2007. He was glad to hear Billy played the game himself.

"Stay busy with that. That's good," he said. "We can just hang out here today. We don't

have to go to school."

But a school assembly awaited. The glamour of the football star, who was willing to sign

footballs and talk about the ordinary details of his life, was an irresistible lift from the

ordinary details of everyone else's life.

Teachers and students in Bills gear were ready with cameras. One girl stood in the hall,

jumping with excitement until Posluszny stopped to pose with her.

The night before, Deanna

Good took her family to the mall to buy the football shirts they were wearing. She worked a

night shift after that. Even without sleep, she was enjoying what felt like rare good luck for

her family and the school.

"I'm just happy for the kids. It's [usually] always someone else," she said from her seat

at the front of the auditorium.

Her husband, Scott, a Bills fan, had been too excited to sleep much himself.

"It made my week," he said.

From a seat on the stage, which featured a welcome banner printed with his name, Posluszny,

25, began to answer prepared questions. Lauren and Billy, sitting on either side, took turns

reading them.

No, he said, he was not on Facebook or Twitter. He was not the sort of tech-savvy person

who liked social networking. He would rather work with his hands.

When he stops playing football, his dream job would be to work as an airplane mechanic the

way his father does.

And, yes, coaches have yelled at him "a lot."

"It's something you take and go on," he said.

At the gym, he can bench-press 400 pounds. He likes to mix things up during his workouts.

"I do stuff like yoga once in a while," he said.

His before-game routine includes a breakfast of egg whites and oatmeal.

He also gets to the locker room early, when it's still empty, reviews his notes and listens

to music on on his iPod.

"I still get very, very nervous before every game," he said. Ralph Wilson Stadium is his

favorite place to play because the crowd is so loud with enthusiasm.

"That makes you want to play even harder," he said.

Snow doesn't bother him.

"That's just perfect football. You get to run around in the elements."

Then, he told a story about something that surprised him at the start of his career. When

college coaches came to recruit him in high school, they never began by asking how many

tackles or touchdowns he made. They wanted to know about grades and whether he had a good

relationship with his teachers. That, he realized, was as important as athletic skill.

"Whatever your passion is," he said, "remember your foundation has to be education."

After about a half hour, he was ready to go. Students clapped. Teachers looked pleased. The

Good family lingered for a few more pictures.

But Billy was missing. Someone left to find him. Posluszny noticed. Maybe his advice about

school was already starting to work.

"He was so excited to get back to class," Posluszny said.