Syracuse Football Players Influence Their Community

   

This is a redeeming story about college football student athletes.  The Syracuse University football team spends time serving their community in five specific areas.  One area that is particularly compelling is troubled minors in the juvenile detention systems.

     "Sergeant Tom McDowell, from the Onondaga County Justice Center, said the impact the football student-athletes had on the minor males, ages 16-18, is very evident.   

     “Some of these players, not all of them, have backgrounds that might be similar to that of the incarcerated youths,” McDowell said. “And because of the similarities, the minors can look at the adult players and say, ‘He’s in school. He had a similar road to mine and he’s making changes.’ It gives them positive feedback. After the student-athletes leave, you tend to hear the minors telling stories about the football players, ‘He’s doing this, maybe I can do that.’ It gives them the idea that they do have choices. I think it’s a terrific program.” 

To read more, visit the Syracuse Athletics web page.