ROCKLEDGE, Fla. — Some members of the community in Brevard County have come together to help mentor young men in a traditional way — by teaching them how to tie a tie.

Organizers say Tied Together is a program where community members come together to guide young men with a lesson that lasts a lifetime.

"Show them what a gentleman is, teach them those things we should have learned when we were younger,' said Tied Together representative David Glen.

Tied Together graduate and Rockledge High School senior Terrell Spruill, whose home away from home is on the gridiron, said he has been gearing up for his last season on the offensive line.

He says his passion for playing football is 10 out of 10, and when it's time to suit up, he gets in that "mode."

"I feel like I'm ready to go play, ready to hit somebody, controlled violence we call it," Spruill said with a smile.

But he says it's not just about what's on the inside — the way he presents himself sets the tone for what will happen on the field.

"It's very important," he said. "Look good, feel good, play good — that's what a lot of here go by."

Spruill is a graduate of the Tied Together program, which he's been a part of since middle school.

Men from the community go to schools like Rockledge High to teach young men how to tie a tie, and Spruill said it's a simple, small act that serves a larger purpose as a symbol of mentorship and guidance.

"Surround yourself with what you want to be when you get older," Spruill said. "Be successful, work hard and be disciplined."

And he gets even more by mentoring those coming behind him like another Rockledge senior, Brett Bolton — using the life skills and mindset he learned just by properly tying a tie.

Bolton was adopted from China. He said the water in the rural area was severely polluted, and during that time he, along with a large number of children, was born without a leg.

Bolton said he won't let his disability stop him from succeeding in life, and saw Tied Together as something that will contribute to that success when he heads to either Florida or Colorado for college.

"This is a big life skill — in a professional setting — that everybody should learn how to do this," he said. "It just makes you look more formal."

From 2022 to the present, organizers say 300 men have volunteered more than 1,500 hours to mentor more than 8,000 young men.