NFL Cardinals' Star Receiver Anquan Boldin Helps Youth Receive Urgent Dental

Anquan Boldin Foundation Dental Care Program in Partnership With Oral and Facial Surgery Center of Phoenix



PHOENIX, Aug. 12, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Anquan Boldin, three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver, and one of the most popular fan favorites of the Arizona Cardinals has teamed with the Oral and Facial Surgery Center of Phoenix to help underprivileged youth address urgent dental care needs. The Anquan Boldin Foundation Dental Care Program, launched today, will address concerns with children who are being profoundly impacted by chronic dental conditions such as jaw deformities, overbites, underbites, impacted and symptomatic wisdom teeth.

"Urgent dental care is often times put on the back burner due to families being uninsured or underprivileged," says Boldin. "There are children who suffer severe dental-related problems that affect their eating, sleeping, speech and overall health. We want to help them be kids and have a healthy smile."

During the 2008 NFL season Boldin experienced a hit to the head, causing immediate surgical care to his face and mouth. Dr. Reed Day, founder of the Oral and Facial Surgery Center, was in charge of Boldin's surgery and facial recovery. "When I met Anquan, he had suffered a severe fracture of his upper jaw causing his upper teeth and jaw to be displaced backward. We were able to correct this for him with surgery completely inside the mouth and get him back on the field in record time," says Dr. Day.

"As an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, I care for patients who not only need their wisdom teeth removed, but also have a bad bite, difficulty chewing and breathing -- a problem corrected through orthognathic jaw surgery, which corrects jaw and facial deformities from abnormal skeletal growth patterns. My plan is to offer these services, as well as removal of painful wisdom teeth, to underprivileged and uninsured young people."

The Anquan Boldin Foundation Dental Care Program is now accepting online submissions from parents of children in the Phoenix area who have severe dental concerns and providing select recipients with either the surgical attention required or consultation. Parents can find the online submission by going to www.AnquanQ81Foundation.com and clicking on the dental program flyer.

About the Anquan Boldin Foundation

The Anquan Boldin Foundation, established in 2004, is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and is dedicated to expanding the educational and life opportunities of underprivileged children in both Arizona and Florida. Recently the Pahokee Chamber of Commerce presented Boldin with the "Distinguished Service" award, for recognition of the generosity to hundreds of children and teens in the community that Anquan and the Foundation have given throughout the years. The Anquan Boldin Foundation has supported various after-school programs, has a scholarship program supported by the University of Phoenix, and holds the annual Q-Festival Weekend celebration free to the Palm Beach County community each April. For more information please visit www.anquanq81foundation.com.

About the Oral and Facial Surgery Center of Phoenix

The Oral and Facial Surgery Center was established in 1999 by Reed H. Day, M.D.,D.M.D., F.A.C.S. Dr. Day, a recognized leader in oral and maxillofacial surgery, received both his medical and dental degrees at Harvard University. The Oral and Facial Surgery Center is a full service oral and maxillofacial surgery facility. Dr. Day is adamant about keeping informed of the latest medical and dental developments and technologies. For further information, please visit www.dr-day.com.

2009 Big Ten Season Preview & Predictions

College Football Insider John Sears provides his outlook on the Big Ten with his fearless forecasts for the 2009 season.

Due to the weather patterns in the Windy City, we joke (or not) that in Chicago there are two seasons – winter and construction. By June, we’re clinging to the low ‘70s, hoping the afternoon “London Fog” burns off before it blocks the sun, sort of like a volcanic or meteor-strike ashen blanket that throws the globe in to a 10,000 year ice age. On the bright side, we have been inundated with previews of the 2009 season as early as the time Chicago has decided to begin its summer thaw. TV talking heads, magazines, blogs, podcasts, and a plethora of other online multimedia services have weighed in, but I know you have all been holding out through the dog days of summer to get my perspective on the season. All five of you (including my parents, my in-laws and my wife). So I present to you my taste of the 2009 Big Ten outlook with a sense of humility. This word may also be the best descriptor of how all teams planning on contending this year in the Big Ten should approach their season. Why? No team escapes roster evaluation without a noticeable fatal flaw in one (or more) of their units, which may inevitably stunt their chance at contending for the conference title. Those teams that play to their strengths or mask their weaknesses best may escape the Big Ten ice age and take a step towards the warming effects of national and BCS respect.

Below is a digest version of what’s to come this year in our beloved Midwestern conference. But stayed tuned for further analysis of all eleven teams such as the predicted outcome grid for every Big Ten team, the most influential units on the season’s outcome, key weeks and key early matchups and swing games that will set up how the conference will shake out.

Conference Champ: Penn State. Despite most slotting The perennial power Ohio State atop the league, Penn State possesses enough talent, experience, and most of all, leadership to secure the conference crown over the Buckeyes. Will they be packing for Pasadena? Yes. Will they be packing for a January 7th game (the National Title game) or the January 1st Rose Bowl? I am not handing everything over to Penn State before a game played, and I feel Illinois will give them a run finishing a close second. In fact, I see the Nittany Lions losing their only game to the Illini on October 3rd. One loss in the SEC or Big12 can give you some bargaining chips for a case of National Championship representation, but Penn State will lose the BCS beauty contest, with a number 1 or 2 ranking just out of their fingertips. Why? Penn State has serious gaps to fill in passing and defending the pass. Daryll Clark will likely have a stellar season statistically leading Penn State with his arms or legs. But replacing the magnificent, record-setting receiving trio of Derrick Williams, Deon Butler and Jordan Norwood will be close to impossible. If the Nittany Lions can ride the legs of Evan Royster, Stephon Green and Clark, perhaps there will be less pressure to gain chunks of yards through the air. On the other side of the ball, the front seven looks solid, despite key losses on the edges of Aaron Maybin, Maurice Evans and Josh Gaines. A healthy Sean Lee coupled with last year’s standout at Linebaacker U, Navorro Bowman, can be a deadly linebacker combination. However, zero starters return in the secondary. In 2006, their defense survived under similar circumstances; thus it goes without saying (than why am I saying it?) that some true freshman or newcomers need to step up big to round out the D. If so, watch out for Penn State to make a run for national considerations.

Contenders: Illinois, Ohio State. For Illinois, it’s somewhat simple – ride your offensive star power (WR Arrelious Benn, WR Jeff Cumberland, WR Jarred FAyson, RB Daniel Dufrene, RB Jason Ford, etc.); and you see that quarterback Juice Williams must be salivating for opening day to come as soon as possible. Can they average 40/game? Perhaps. Maybe they will need to until their defense shows the chemistry it needs to perform week in and week out. In terms of scheduling, the Illini season will most likely be dictated early with a stretch starting 9/26 at Ohio State (Illinois conveniently has a bye the week preceding this doozey), home against Penn State and home against Michigan State. If they take two of three here, which is certainly plausible, it may be clear sailing the rest of the way – their toughest hurdles then being at Minnesota November 7th and Northwestern the following week. Expect a double-digit win season, riding solely on where Williams takes them. For Ohio State, I’m a little more skeptical. Funny how skeptical for the Buckeyes still puts them in the top three of the conference and possibly another 10+ win season. But losing running back Beanie Wells and top receiving targets Brian Hartline and Brian Robiskie on offense while losing the captain of the defense, linebacker James Laurinaitis, lockdown corner Malcolm Jenkins and linebacker Marcus Freeman are just one too many holes to fill, even for the Buckeyes. I know I know, Ohio State reloads every year, but reloading with a quarterback who is still mastering the PASS at the collegiate level (yes, he runs like a dear) may be a cause for some hiccups. An early season rematch with USC looms over the Columbus faithful and a victory here could set the stage for conference play. Their schedule is not life-threatening overall, but still need to man up against Illinois 9/26, Wisconsin 10/10 and Iowa 11/14 albeit at home, and the only tough road tester just happens to be in Happy Valley 11/7.

Sleeper: Iowa -- Make no mistake, year-in and year-out, the Big Ten crown is up for grabs usually with strong defensive teams (notwithstanding Illinois’ chances this year). Iowa has the potential to be real stingy. If they can sew up the interior of the line, a return of the entire linebacking squad (Pat Angerer included) sitting underneath CB Amari Spievey (tied 2nd in the conference in INTs with four) and conference-leader in INTs SS Tyler Sash could be tough for any offense to move the ball. If youngster running back Jewel Hampton can give half the effort (~900 yards, 10 touchdowns) put forth by Shonn Greene last year, Iowa will be the prickly thorns in the favorites’ sides.

Victims of scheduling: Minnesota – the word on the street is a new-look, pro style offense with a twist (QB MarQueis Gray) and defense may improve, but not enough to accommodate a brutal schedule [Cal (9/19), @Northwestern (9/26), a four-game stretch of @ Penn State (10/17), @ Ohio State (10/24), Michigan State (10/31), Illinois (11/7), and finish @ Iowa (11/21)]. Iowa could make some serious noise if not for conference road games: @ Penn State (9/26), @ Wisconsin (10/17), @ Michigan State (10/24) and @ Ohio State (11/14).

Offensive Player of the Year: Juice Williams, QB, Illinois. Did you know that Williams needs just 4,238 total yards this year to break the all-time Big Ten career yardage record held by Drew Brees? Williams has not been known for being tremendously accurate (2008 career high of 57.5% completion), but still finds ways to get the ball down field for scores. With 3,173 yards through the air last year, Williams almost doubled his passing output from his sophomore campaign (1,743 yards). What else? How about the fact that the quarterback also lead his team in rushing last year with 923 yards and five touchdowns. With a stable of competent running backs in the backfield with Williams, I suspect his rushing totals will diminish. I also expect, however, that Williams will continue to improve his touchdown/interception ratio (22/16 2008, 12/13 2007, 9/9 2006) with an elite receiving crop now augmented by Florida transfer Jarred Fayson. This may be a record, decorated year for the senior gunslinger in his final campaign.
Honorable Mention: Erick Decker, WR, Minnesota

Defensive Player of the Year: Greg Jones, linebacker, Michigan State. Last year, Jones anchored the linebacking corps with a team-leading 127 tackles and 12 tackles-for-loss. The defense looks primed to be as strong as or stronger than last year, particularly against the run. The Spartans’ schedule is loaded with run-first offenses (Wisconsin, Michigan, Northwestern, Iowa, Penn State), so don’t expect a drop-off in the number of ball carriers Jones mops up. Further, Wisconsin, Michigan, Northwestern, and Purdue (on the schedule) will be walking out quarterbacks of little or no experience, so Jones may find his way in to the backfield more often.
Honorable Mention: Pat Angerer, linebacker, Iowa.

Breakout Seasons: John Clay (RB, Wisconsin), Terrelle Pryor (QB, Ohio State)
Who needs to grow up fast: Tate Forcier (QB, Michigan), Jewel Hampton (RB, Iowa), Edwin Baker (RB, Michigan State)
Unexpected game-changers: Marquis Gray (QB, Minnesota), Garrett Graham (TE, Wisconsin), Jarred Fayson (WR, Illinois)
Best Pro Prospects: Arrelious Benn (WR, Illinois), Brandon Graham (DE, Michigan), Corey Wootton (DE, Northwestern)

Supplemental Draft: Jarmon Goes To Washington

Expected to be one of the top defensive linemen in college football in 2009, Kentucky product Jeremy Jarmon will instead be suiting up for the Washington Redskins this fall. Washington selected the Tennessee native earlier today in the third round of the 2009 Supplemental draft. He was the only player selected in the draft.

Jarmon put his name into the draft after he tested positive for a substance banned by the NCAA and was suspended for his senior campaign, ending his college career. The news was a surprise to most in the college football world because the former ‘Cat is a bright young man and character is one of his strengths. The political science major even cleared it with Coach Rich Brooks before starring in the school’s production of “Weak/Side/Help”, where he played a quarterback who dabbled with steroids.

The word “beast” would best describe Jarmon’s physical presence on the gridiron. He is 6’3” and weighs 279 lbs. which, when combined with his strength and speed, makes him a force to be reckoned with. He can punish opponents with his potent rushing tactics and often finds himself in the backfield eerily close to the quarterback, or whoever may be the unlucky one holding the football. His durability is unquestioned, as Jarmon did not miss a game since appearing in all 13 games in 2006 as a freshman. The SEC product accumulated 38 tackles, 10 for loss, 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and six pass breakups in 2008 (All-SEC honorable mention by AP). His 2007 numbers were even more impressive: 62 tackles, 13.5 for loss, nine sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and two pass breakups (second team All-SEC by the coaches).

Washington has already added defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth via free agency and former Texas defensive end Brian Orakpo with the 13th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft this off-season to bolster their defensive line. Jarmon will provide depth and could be the long-term answer at defensive end (see Jason Taylor), particularly if the ‘Skins decide to move Orakpo to outside linebacker as some have speculated. Drafting Jarmon means Washington will forfeit their 2010 third-round draft pick.

Other players who were eligible to be selected were Joe McMahon of Central Michigan, Demetrice Morley of Tennessee, Deon Murphy of Kansas St., Corey Surrency of Florida St., Blake Boyd of Western Kentucky, Dixon McKinner of Texas Tech and Southern Mississippi’s Torris Magee. Most recently, the San Diego Chargers selected defensive back Paul Oliver (Georgia) and the Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Omar Gaither (Maryland) in the 2007 Supplemental draft. No one applied for the 2008 Supplemental draft.

Other Supplemental draft notables include Brian Bosworth, AKA the Boz, whom the Seattle Seahawks selected coming out of Oklahoma in 1987. In 1989, the Arizona Cardinals tabbed Washington St. quarterback Timm Rosenbach and the Dallas Cowboys took Miami product Steve Walsh, while in 1993 the New York football Giants were smitten with a Dukie named Dave Brown who flourished under Steve Spurrier in Durham. All were first-round picks—none was worth it.

A pair of Supplemental picks that did pan out were Philadelphia’s selection of Cris Carter in 1987 and San Diego’s choice of noseman Jamal Williams in 1999.

Kenny Franek contributed to this piece.

Top 10 Big Ten Senior Prospects

1. DE Brandon Graham, Michigan - Graham is the best returning pass rusher in the Big Ten, he has had 18.5 sacks over the last two seasons. The issue with Graham is he is short, standing in at around 6’0 and some NFL teams want defensive ends that are 6’3 or taller. But Graham has proven over the years that he is able to get off the line of scrimmage and not only make plays rushing the passers, but also against the run behind the line of scrimmage. He tied for the Big 10 lead in tackles for loss with 20 last season.

Graham could play in the 3-4 defense as an outside pass rusher, but is probably better suited for the 4-3 as a defensive end, where he could play both the right and left defensive end position.

2. DE Corey Wootton, Northwestern – The question mark with Wooten heading into his senior season is how well he responds from a torn ACL sustained in the Alamo Bowl against Missouri. As a junior he had 42 total tackles, 10 sacks, 16 tackles for loss, one interception and a blocked a kick.

Wooton is an all around good defensive end and plays with outstanding leverage. He does a good job creating problems with passing lanes because of his size and possesses the ability to use his power and bull-rush, as well as some counter pass rushing moves. The biggest question is Wootton’s health, if he was healthy going into the season he would be the number one overall senior prospect in the Big Ten.

3. DE Greg Middleton, Indiana - Middleton has good size for a defensive end at around 6’3, 285 pounds, along with good but not great speed and an excellent first step off the line of scrimmage. He can use his strength to bull-rush you, but does have an array of pass rushing moves to beat opposing blockers and is extremely strong. He is best-suited on obvious passing downs when he can explode off the line and bull rush over helpless tackles.

Middleton was much better as a sophomore then he was a junior. As a sophomore he led the nation in sacks with 16, adding 50 total tackles and 17 tackles for loss. Last season had 18 total tackles, five tackles for loss and four sacks, he was dinged up with some injuries so the hope is that was the reason for the lack of production. This is a huge season for him, if he get back to his sophomore season he could be a first round pick, if he plays more like last season he drops down huge in the draft.

4. TE Garrett Graham, Wisconsin - Last season because of some injuries, Graham became the focal point of the Wisconsin passing attack. He led the Badgers with 40 receptions, 540 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns. Graham has good size at 6’4, 248 pounds and should be Wisconsin’s most reliable target again this season.
Graham has the ability to be similar to Seattle’s John Carlson at the next level, a reliable blocker and a sure handed receiver. He isn’t going to wow you with either, but is going to get the job done and when the season is over he is going to have around 50 catches.

5. WR Eric Decker, Minnesota - Decker had a good sophomore season catching 67 passes for 909 yards and nine touchdowns, and followed that up last season with 84 catches for 1,074 yards and seven touchdowns. Decker has good size at 6’2, 215 pounds and a good overall athlete. While he isn’t a super fast, he does a good job coming in and out of his breaks and has good hands. Decker is a player that most likely won’t be a number one receiver in the NFL, but will be a great number two receiver, in the mold of Vincent Jackson of San Diego or Anthony Gonzalez of Indianapolis. Not a guy who will wow you with the big plays, but will make all the catches and will be there to make that catch on third down to keep the drive alive.

6. ILB Sean Lee, Penn State - Missed all of last season following surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee that occurred last April. Lee was a heck of football player before his knee injury and the question will be can he get back to his form in 2007 where he had 138 total tackles, 10.5 tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, three recovered fumbles and one interception. The plan was for Lee to go from the outside linebacker spot to the middle linebacker. Before the injury Lee was a very good overall linebacker who make plays all over the field and many thought that he would have been a later first round pick with his ability and football IQ. Now, there are a lot of question marks that come up with Lee, but expect him to answer them and start to rise up draft boards come April.

7. S Kurt Coleman, Ohio State - Coleman thought about entering the NFL draft before returning to Ohio State, which was a good move for him. Last season he had 78 total tackles, and has 11 total tackles in the Fiesta Bowl against Texas, and finished the season with four interceptions. Coleman has decent size at 5-11 190 pounds and good overall speed. In addition, he has good range in pass coverage and seems to be able to read and react well, in both the run and the passing game. Coleman needs to come on a have a big senior season and show scouts that he can be a big time play maker at the next level.

8. S Anderson Russell, Ohio State - Russell is the other safety prospect at Ohio State, and last season had a productive season with 67 total tackles and two interceptions. He is bigger then his teammate Coleman at 6’0, 205 but wasn’t as productive last season. Russell needs to get better in coverage as a senior to be able to show NFL scouts that he can play free safety at the next level because that is what most teams are projecting Russell to be. He needs to be more consistent in his man-to-man coverage and also needs to be able to read where the quarterback is going with the ball in the passing game.

9. DT Jared Odrick, Penn State - Last season Odrick emerged into one of the nation's top defensive linemen with 41 total tackles, 9.5 for loss, and 4.5 sacks. His 2007 season was cut short by ankle and hand injuries, so he had a lot to prove last season. Odrick has great size a 6’5 306, and almost always commands double teams, which allows other players to make plays. He plays the run well, but also has the ability to rush the passer, and can both inside on the edge. He is a hard worker and doesn’t take plays off.

10. LB Pat Angerer, Iowa - Angerer came out of nowhere to lead the team in tackles last season with 107 total tackles, after recording just six tackles in his first two seasons. Angerer tied for the Big Ten lead with five interceptions to go along with three pass breakups, to help him earned All-Big Ten second-team honors.
Angerer has good size at 6’1, 235 pounds, and not only is a good run defender but also proved to be effective in pass coverage (both man-to-man and zone). He should be productive for Iowa this season, but the really answers will come when he reaches the combine and post season workouts.

Photo Credit: Northwestern, Iowa Sports Information, University of Minnesota Athletic Communications

The Danny Clark Foundation A Big Hit

On Saturday night, April 17th, Danny Clark, a nine-year NFL veteran linebacker now with the New York Giants, hosted a fundraiser on behalf of his Foundation at the River East Art Center in downtown Chicago. To kick off the event, Mr. Clark described the roots of his charity in a heartfelt recount of his son, Nicky, who is struggling after a premature birth:

“March 11, 2002, my second youngest son, Danny Clark V, we called him Nicky -- he was born three months early. He was 25 weeks gestation, one pound and thirteen ounces in weight. He lived in a little incubator I called, ‘his apartment’.

“My son went through a whole bunch in a small amount of time. In the first three months of his life, he struggled. Doctors gave him a 30 percent chance to live. Needless to say, there is a God. I’m very thankful.

“So my son now is seven years old, three-sport athlete, 100 percent healthy…Nicky was the inspiration for the Danny Clark Foundation. I met with my board members a couple of years ago and said I wanted to help out, to reach out to premature families. Not just the children, but I want to reach out to the parents -- you don’t know how to understand your child when he is a pound and thirteen ounces. So the whole concept is that we want to reach out to the families; and the board said let’s reach out to all kids, not just premature families. And that’s our mission, objective and motive -- to get a lot of people to do a little.” With that, we officially kick-started the night’s events.

The evening was creatively designed, hoping to entice those with some extra pocket change to open their wallets for a good cause. Dozens of donations were available for silent auction, including the use of a private jet that started its minimum bid at $8,000. As the emcee for the night, Leon Rogers had proclaimed later, “There is no recession happening with this room full of people!” By far the most entertaining fundraising event of the evening was the live auction of some of the New York Giants in attendance. Cornerback Aaron Ross, safeties Kenny Phillips and Michael Johnson, as well as Danny Ware and Geris Wilkerson raked in the Benjamins, not so surprisingly from the female contingency in the bidding audience. The bidding concluded climactically with Rogers auctioning off two beautiful Porsches, which were all but in my possession until I realized I write for a living. All in all, I unofficially calculated that Mr. Clark raised somewhere in the order of $150,000 by the end of the auction.

As far as the other entertainment, the night’s activity was highlighted by Cirque du Lumiere or “Circus of Light”, best described as acrobatic yet artistic performances in the vein of Cirque du Soleil. The female performers garnered much attention, almost as much as the models “wearing” only painted football jerseys, courtesy of Body Paint Chicago. Hats off to the athletes for making themselves openly available to the guests as well -- they accepted photo ops all night. Of particular interest was the sudden deflation of manhood as I reviewed snapshots of me (or was it mini-me?) posing next to Marcus Stroud of the Buffalo Bills and the Giants’ Mathias Kiwanuka. My wife finds these pictures particularly amusing. But again, their gentlemanly spirit added that much more to the overall generosity of the evening and I recovered from my momentary lapse of manhood.

Despite the light-natured atmosphere of the hosts, I became deeply intrigued by the motive Mr. Clark expressed for starting his foundation. Upon further investigation and a quick conversation with the founder, the mission of the Danny Clark Foundation is clearly an attack on the socio-economic conditions plaguing children born in to circumstances with little positive influence. More specifically, Clark is asking for “more positive role models” in the backdrop of single-parent households, increased crime, juvenile drug abuse, incarceration and teenage pregnancy. New Jersey, Illinois, Texas and Mississippi are the four states the foundation is focusing on; one need look no further than my current residence of Chicago, Illinois, to appreciate first-hand the depth of the problem Clark is attempting to tackle.

For instance, Illinois and Texas hold two of the nation’s highest teenage pregnancy rates and in 2000, Mississippi had one the highest teenage birthrates according to a Guttmacher Institute 2006 publication. With respect to single-parent households, Families and Living Arrangements: 2006 found 12.9 million one-parent families in 2006, over 10 million of which were single-mother families. In Illinois, over 12 percent of all family households are comprised of a female-householder with no husband present. What’s particularly alarming is that 78.7 percent of black women in Illinois give birth when they are unmarried (compared to 24.0 percent whites and 48.6 percent Hispanics). All signs point toward situations where children, more often black children, are born in to households lacking paternal influence. Mr. Clark is right -- education, opportunity and a guiding light are desperately needed in order to break the downward, spiraling circuitry of single-parent households giving birth to children who themselves eventually become pregnant as teenagers.

Statistics are the most scientific and logical method to present a position or argument. As such, I have provided an oversimplified, yet number-rich description (I write about sports -- a table of numbers is my color palette) of a socio-economic epidemic stretching both coasts of our rich country. My personal taste of this reality comes every weekend, when I meander to my local park to play basketball adjacent to Chicago’s infamous projects, Cabrini Green. Seward Park is packed with kids of all ages once the cold weather finally breaks as it houses ten basketball hoops and plenty of space for running around. Last week I was shooting hoops by myself when a little boy no older than five asked if he could play with me. The ball, twice the size of his head, took all his arms and legs could muster to even approach rim level, let alone find its way in to the basket. But after about 15 minutes of persistence, jumping jacks, pushups, sit-ups and a few laughs, my new friend was on his way to following the footsteps of Derrick Rose. He was a pleasant, energetic young boy, just like any other you would find on a sunny warm day at the park. So kind was he that he offered me half of his twizzler -- only I watched him pick it up right off the ground before he spoke in such generosity. After pleading with him not to eat the tainted candy while frowning inside at the notion of a child eating candy off the ground without hesitation, he conceded regretfully and chucked the red dirt bit in to the grass and eventually walked away. Minutes later, as I packed it in for the day, I saw the little boy leaving the basketball courts, say around 6:30PM, walking away with no parent in site. In downtown Chicago.

Mr. Clark pleads that he would like to “…get a lot of people to do a little” in an effort to spread positivity to the people who need it most. And although the fundraising event was attended by the New York Giants’ defense, it has become very obvious to me, and hopefully to you, that even one of the best defenses in the NFL needs a little help on the offense -- go and be a positive role model for someone today.

Go to www.dannyclarkfoundation.com for more information on Danny Clark’s Foundation, future fundraising events and to make donations.