At first, Danny Etling didn’t understand why his mom kept pushing him to stay in Scouting.

Sure, he enjoyed camping and earning merit badges, but the four-star football prospect didn’t exactly have an abundance of free time in high school.

But Etling stuck with it, becoming an Eagle Scout in 2012 — about a month before his 18th birthday. He was a Scout in Indiana’s Crossroads of America council.

Looking back today, Etling said he’s glad his mom encouraged him to remain in Scouting. The starting quarterback at Louisiana State University said Scouting was more than just an after-school activity with friends.

The program, he said, made him a better football player and a better person.

On Tuesday, Etling took time away from college, friends and football to address the Business and Industry Leaders Luncheon presented by the BSA’s Istrouma Area Council, based in Baton Rouge, La.

Scouting, he told the group, “keeps you humble, keeps you working hard and going towards a goal. I still use the majority of the skills that I learned as a Boy Scout as far as being able to get guys organized, working towards a common goal based on leadership.”

Those outdoor Scouting skills — cooking over a campfire, setting up a tent, paddling a canoe — are important, but Etling said the life skills are even more valuable.

“You don’t necessarily remember that moment you learned how to tie a knot, but you remember all of the relationships you build and the life skills such as leadership, loyalty — things that actually matter in life — that you learn,” he said.

Read more of Etling’s comments in Michael Bonnette’s article on the official LSU athletics website.