With Omaha Central’s long history, many great athletes walk the halls, including the likes of Roger Sayers and Ahman Green. Both men left their mark on Central and continue to leave their marks on people.  

Sayers, a Central graduate of the class of 1960, was a very successful track runner, joining the U.S. national team in 1962. After college athletics, he had a 26-year career with the Union Pacific railroad. There he developed along with other Black employees, the “Black employee network.” Sayers said, “We developed what we called the Black employee network which is still in existence today.” It’s designed to help give Black employees more opportunities. He also served Omaha as director of human relations. 

 Sayers now works at Salem Baptist Church and still holds a high opinion of Central High. “I think without a doubt Central is already one of the best schools in the country,” said Sayers. 

 Sayers gave some advice for students of today, saying, “Any opportunity that’s presented to you that’s compatible to your interests and ambitions, I think it’s important to not pass it up.”  

Green was a graduate of the class of 1995 and was Central’s star running back in his time here. When he graduated, he went on to play for the University of Nebraska and had an incredible career for the Huskers, being selected to the all Big-8 First Team.  

He was drafted in the third round by the Seattle Seahawks before going to the Green Bay Packers. There he was selected four times to the NFL Pro Bowl and was also the Packers’ all-time leading rusher and inducted to the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.  

After his success in the NFL, he would go to E3, an E-Sports convention. This gave him the idea to go into the E-Sports where he helped coach Bayside High School E-Sports and hosted “Madden” tournaments with Larry Ridley. He was hired by Lakeland University to coach E-Sports where he would be the first ever E-Sports head coach at Lakeland. He then went to UNL to help with E-Sports. “It’s our job as coaches to enlighten administrators,” Green said when asked about coaching a new sport at the college level.  

Outside of the coaching side, he also hosts a weekly podcast about E-Sports. Green said, “I knew I could do it because it was something I knew I could do.” Green is very proud of doing things outside of the tradition that athletes do after retirement. When asked about advice for students, he said, “Talk more, ‘cause when you talk people listen.”