Tyson, who grew up in rough parts of Brooklyn, came under the care of boxing trainer Cus D'Amato as a teenager, and has credited D'Amato with saving him from a life of crime. He said teenagers today need that same kind of care.
 
"Just as much energy as they put into doing and selling drugs and killing one another, that same energy can be put into something positive," Tyson said. "I was one of them. I'm that guy. I'm that guy that probably got shot the other day. I'm probably the guy that shot the guy the other day.I understand. I understand the pain."
 
Daley spokeswoman Jacquelyn Heard said the mayor met Tyson a few years ago, and the two hit it off. Tyson contacted the mayor's office to see if he could drop in to say hello while in town for Oprah, Heard said.
 
The mayor made time to meet with Tyson because the mayor believes Tyson could offer a valuable perspective into ways to solve the problems of violence in the city, Heard said

"The mayor said 'This is the guy I need to be talking to,' " Heard said.

Chicago has been in the spotlight recently because a cell phone video captured the fatal beating of a high school honors student.

Tyson said that if he and boxer Evander Holyfield can make amends, so can warring teenagers in Chicago.