To know New Orleans Saints DB Malcolm Jenkins is to know a fierce competitor for victory, both on and off the field. From overcoming the challenges of recovering from his injury last season, to staying focused on training during a difficult NFL Lockout, Malcolm has proven his dedication to perfecting his skills and excelling as a team member, as he gives of himself constantly.Now, as he leads the charge as Chairman of his namesake charity, The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation, no one is surprised that he is just as dedicated and focused to succeed in his “off the field” endeavor to give back to and inspire the youth.Recently, Malcolm was offered the opportunity to co-host “The Malcolm Jenkins Show” with WIST Radio’s Kaare Johnson in an effort to raise community support and awareness of The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation. Although he majored in Communications at The Ohio State University, co-hosting his own radio show would deliver a unique challenge to Malcolm, as the Saints’ practice and game schedules require not only his unhindered focus, but travel to, in recent weeks, back-to-back, on the road, high-stake Division games. In fact, because of a team meeting, the September 26, 2011 airing of the debut show, required Malcolm to call in to the show, as he was literally en-route when it was time for the show to air, but to delay the show or disappoint fans was not an option for Malcolm.Malcolm will share and alternate broadcasts of the show with teammate and friend, Tracy Porter. The show, which broadcast from 5-6pm on Monday evenings from Speckled T’s in Slidell, ot only gives Malcolm the opportunity to interact with fans calling in to the show as he answers their questions, but he is also able to interact with those fans who visit the restaurant during the broadcast. He signs autographs and encourages fans to participate in the weekly raffles, with all raffle funds benefiting his foundation.When I asked Malcolm what he thought of the community’s response to the show, he expressed “I am really impressed with the community’s response! More and more people show up at Speckled T’s every week; it’s packed in there all the time and we still have 3/4 of the season left! I’m excited to see what it’s like in week 12!”. It’s no surprise that Saints fans are showing #27 lots of love! With the Saints currently winning all but one game so far this season, and showing only signs of improvement, you might wonder how Malcolm, one who doesn’t take losing easily (to put it mildly), will handle things if the show should broadcast after a Saints loss. “The goal is to keep winning so that I won’t be in that situation. But if it does happen, I’m sure I can suck it up for an hour and answer questions and comment on the game”. And of course he will, because the goal of the show and why he is doing it in the first place is bigger than him; he will need to maintain his high spirits to continue to rally community support, and he will.From Malcolm’s point of view, fan participation in the raffle has been “pretty good”, and he goes on to acknowledge that more people come out and lend their support with each broadcast. “We get more and more support as the weeks go on…we’ve been raising more and more money for the cause.”With no set funding goal to reach, Malcolm’s hope is simply for continued community support which he will need to fulfill the foundation’s vision to be “a world-class organization that serves as a leader in making positive, lasting impact on young people and communities around the world”.And those aren’t just words to Malcolm….Besides the encouragement and inspiration that he speaks of having received from his parents and coaches throughout the years, you might also hear Malcolm mention his 23 year old friend Nicole Brown of Oklahoma City, OK who, although she suffered significant head injuries in a serious car accident and doctors said she would never walk again, recently participated in a 5k walk. Malcolm observes her positive attitude through all of her misfortune, and attributes her recovery to her “hard work, strong spirit and faith in God”. He admires her diligence as she works hard in her church and strives to eventually get back to playing sports and return to employment.It’s with examples like Nicole and his remembrance of the many helping hands that he has received throughout his young years, that keeps him focused on giving back and enabling others to compete and win in their life’s journeys.But of course he can’t do it alone, and community support is critical for this endeavor! To find out more about The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation and to offer your support, please visit www.themalcolmjenkinsfoundation.org- Toni L. Rousell, Publicist & PR Professional
The Malcolm Jenkins / Tracy Porter Show- Community Support for a Good Cause
