Watch CBS News

Torrey Smith Raps To Encourage Students To Study

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A Baltimore Raven turned cheerleader for academics!

Christie Ileto reports Torrey Smith and his fiancee, a Baltimore County fourth-grade teacher, are rapping to encourage students to study for a statewide standardized test.

Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith and his fiancee, Chanel Williams, made a video for her students at Dogwood Elementary School and it's now garnering thousands of hits on YouTube.

"All you need is a pencil in your hand and then you can do the best you can," the rap goes.

"I wrote the song last year for a pep rally. This year, we were having another pep rally and I couldn't make it," Williams said. "So Torrey and I decided to make a video and send it to the school so we could show it at the pep rally."

Williams says the rhyme encourages students to study for the Maryland School Assessment Tests, known as the MSAs.

The MSAs are an annual test that gauges Maryland's third through eighth-graders on their reading and math abilities. At Dogwood Elementary, those tests wrap up this week.

Having Smith in for the assist gives her students extra inspiration to do well.

"They love Torrey and my kids like rap and they're motivated by music," Williams said.

The school principal says the jingle did more than pep up students.

"It really prepared us for the task ahead," said principal Betty Pettiford.

"I always have to bring my A game. I get really nervous about it so I am really going to have to show up what I did last year," Williams said.

And that might be pretty hard to top.

The principal joked that next year she expects all the Ravens players to be in the video.

The MSA rap has already gotten more than 30,000 hits on YouTube.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.