LONG BEACH, Calif. – Charles Barkley once famously claimed that he was no role model.
Jacksonville Jaguars tight end and UCLA great Marcedes Lewis doesn’t buy into that notion.
Lewis returned to his alma mater Long Beach Poly High School Saturday morning to give back to those who look up to him: The kids of the Los Angeles area. The Marcedes Lewis Football Camp, put on by his charitable foundation, drew over 500 kids to the Long Beach Poly field. Lewis and fellow NFL players ran drills and workouts with the kids in an effort to promote a healthy and active lifestyle.
Being a role model wasn’t a role that the Los Alamitos native ever envisioned, but he realizes it’s a position that comes along with his stature. Instead of shying away, he faced the issue head on.
“What’s funny is, when I was younger, I was always one of the ones that (kids) looked up to. I felt like I was pushed into this role,” Lewis said. “I’ve always said that if I ever had a chance to build a platform to be able to give back then that’s what I would do.”
That platform he built was the Marcedes Lewis Foundation, an organization that helps get kids into sports – kids that might not otherwise have opportunities or interest. The foundation helps kids from all walks of life through camps and also awards scholarships to outstanding children in the community that allow them to continue to compete in the sport of their choice while getting an education.
He takes a personal interest in the kids that come through his foundation. Lewis has a story about a different child from every event. This particular event, he was especially touched by a young boy who was hearing impaired and in awe at the way he was able to communicate with him through athletics.
It’s something he takes immense pride in.
“I try to give the kids as much energy as I would give anybody else,” Lewis said. “There is a deaf little boy here and that touched my heart because he has his translator with him. He is talking to me, she is talking to me but through him and that’s the first time that this is every happened to me…
“He doesn’t need to be here. He could be anywhere in the world but he’s here with me.”
Lewis, like many other athletes, is building a brand. He also recently launched a water company – Tu Me – with a college friend of his that is a healthy alternative to sugary sports drinks. This celebrity-athlete brand needs to stand for something – it needs to stand for what he believes in.
“At the end of the day, I play football because I was blessed by God to be able to do this,” Lewis said. “If I didn’t have football, I would still be Marcedes. I’m not going to be doing that forever.”
