WATCH: Naseir Upshur UA jersey presentation

Tight end Naseir Upshur received his Under Armour All-America jersey on Thursday, and it wasn't just an accomplishment for him, but for his family and his community. The ESPN 300 Florida State commit is hoping this honor resonates with the youth in his community around Philadelphia, to give them hope.

“I feel like I’m setting an example for kids and letting everyone know that they can do this," Upshur said. "A lot of people from Philly don’t believe they can do this stuff. I’ve dreamed about this game. Two years ago I can remember sitting and watching it with my mom saying I wanted to play in this game, so it’s very exciting for me.”

Upshur has had a tough go himself, growing up while seeing his mom and dad struggle to make ends meet. The idea of college when he was younger was almost a pipe dream so the situation he’s in now, with a full scholarship offer to Florida State, among others, is something he takes very seriously.

“When I committed I let out a few tears because it’s a blessing for me to have this opportunity," Upshur said. "I’m from the hardest part of Philly and I’ve seen so many things,” he said. “When I was younger I told my mom I wanted to go to college and she told me I would probably have to get a scholarship because she wouldn’t be able to afford it. So having a full ride and her not having to pay for anything means a lot.”

Upshur has more opportunities ahead of him, including one on the football field, that could help change his family's future for the better.

Q&A with Naseir Upshur:

What players are you looking forward to competing with or against at the UA All America Game?

I’m very excited that Dwayne Haskins is playing. ... Levonta Taylor, Saivion Smith, Rahshaun Smith.

If you could start a team with any other player in your class who would it be?

Sam Bruce. I just like the way he makes big plays.

What was your earliest football memory?

I was real young, my first time playing football. They were giving out MVP awards and I asked my mom what they were and she said you have to be the [best] player on the field. She told someone that I was going to win one and I did, so that was my earliest memory. That was in 2005.

Which football player did you watch as a kid?

I didn’t really look up to anybody, but you could say LaDainian Tomlinson. He was nice. I wanted to be a running back when I was younger and I liked his juke moves.

If you could take on any pro in their sport, who would it be?

Yao Ming. I just want to see what it feels like to play against somebody that tall. I can dunk, but I don’t think I could dunk on him.

Why do you wear your number (8)?

A couple things. My birthday is the eighth month. My uncle really wanted me to play football and he always tried to sign me up. He was a rapper and in his music video he had a jersey on with the number eight, so I went with that.

What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

People don’t know that when I was young, I was playing basketball. I would skip football practice to go play basketball. I hated football when I was younger and thought I would grow up to be a basketball player. That was around when I was 11 or 12 and I used to get in trouble all the time. When I played for the Northwest Raiders, we played in the national championship game. I got a fourth and goal stop and since then, that’s when I knew I could be a great football player. I played against good football players, so that’s when I knew.