On February 10, the University of Pennsylvania Law School’s Journal of Constitutional Law presented its annual symposium. This year’s event was titled “Hate Crime vs. Hate Speech: Exploring the First Amendment,” and the keynote address was delivered by Malcolm Jenkins, a Philadelphia Eagles player as well as a philanthropist and activist. Read full article>>
Jenkins Wins Esteemed Whizzer White Award
HOUSTON – Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins has been named the recipient of the 2017 Byron “Whizzer” White Award. In recognition, the NFL Players Association will donate $100,000 to The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation (TMJF).Jenkins was announced as this year’s winner at the players union’s annual Super Bowl press conference on Thursday. The Whizzer White Award is the highest honor the NFLPA can bestow on a player for his profound dedication to positively impacting his team, community and country in the spirit of the former Supreme Court Justice for which the award is named.Since his foundation was established in 2010, the Pro Bowl defender and Super Bowl champion has poured his time and resources into providing programs and initiatives for underprivileged youth in Louisiana, New Jersey, Ohio and Philadelphia. This past year, Jenkins helped provide nearly 300 families with Thanksgiving meals, presented 13 scholarships to college-bound seniors through his Project REWARDS program and sought to improve race relations within the country by joining four other NFL players in meeting with Congressional members this past November during the season.Read full article>>
My Cause My Cleats
In week 13, the NFL featured a unique twist on the league’s rigid uniform policy. For the first time ever, the NFL gave permission to players to wear custom footwear in regular-season games. The #MyCauseMyCleats campaign gave players the chance to design shoes that show their commitment to their charitable causes. Over 500 players — roughly a third of the league — took part in the initiative. Check out the cleats worn by Malcolm Jenkins against the Cincinnati Bengals, supporting The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation.
Jenkins tells kids to “man up,” sit out when they’re hurt.
Malcolm Jenkins, who notably played a good portion of a game in 2015 with a concussion, was recently featured in a video by GQ aimed at young football players to educate them on how to smartly handle concussions during games.
The video begins with Jenkins discussing the game against the Cowboys in 2015, when he suffered a concussion and played through what he would later describe as “a fog.”
“I didn’t feel like the hit was big,” Jenkins says in the video. “When I watched it on tape, it wasn’t a huge hit. I didn’t black out. I felt a little woozy when I stood up, but I literally could not remember Cole Beasley scored a touchdown on me earlier in the game. I had no clue. I saw the replay and I’m like, ‘What? When did that happen?’ That’s what I grew up on. Just, ‘Oh, you got dazed,’ or, ‘You just got your bell rung,’ when in all actuality, it’s like, no, your brain just pretty much shut your body off. Now it’s restarting.”
The video also features Cameron Jordan and Charles Johnson. The three players spend the duration of the three-minute video trying to explain to kids who play football how to be proactive about protecting themselves if they suffer a head injury.
“I remember a tackling drill where, as a kid, I’m learning how to play, and I’m going against somebody who’s way bigger than me,” Jenkins says. “He runs me over, and then the coach is yelling at me like, ‘Do you want to go again?’ And in that instance, I remember, like, ‘OK, I either have to cower down and look like I’m afraid, or I’ve got to kind of psych myself up into doing this over again.”
Jenkins also says in the video that since his concussion, he’s been more proactive with teammates, and has on more than one occasion diagnosed a concussion in a teammate.
Here’s the video in full:
TMJF Feeds 135 NOLA Families with 6th Annual ‘Holiday Dinner Basket Surprise’
Philadelphia Eagles Pro Bowl Safety and former New Orleans Saints/Super Bowl Champion Malcolm Jenkins and The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation (TMJF) made the holidays brighter for 135 New Orleans area families by providing holiday meal baskets at the Foundation’s sixth annual ‘Holiday Dinner Basket Surprise’, on Saturday, December 17, 2016.In keeping with the jersey number (27) that Jenkins wears on the field, The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation selected 27 local community and church organizations to serve as partners in identifying five (5) families from within the community their organization serves, in need of a festive blessing. Each partnering organization picked up the festive gifts during the event, and delivered them to their chosen families.The event took place at College Track New Orleans, hosted in partnership with TMJF’s Project R.E.W.A.R.D.S (Reinforcing Education With Activities, Recreation and Developmental Supports) program.Along with The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation board members, area volunteers, and Project REWARDS scholars, student athletes from Brother Martin High School helped to package and distribute the holiday baskets. Each basket included everything needed to prepare a traditional holiday meal, including a turkey, vegetables, stuffing, dessert and much more.The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation’s Holiday Dinner Basket Surprise has served more than 800 families since 2011. Striving to make an impact in every city in which Jenkins has lived, worked, and played, the effort expanded from New Orleans to Philadelphia in 2015. Covering two cities, this year’s effort served 275 families across the Greater New Orleans and Greater Philadelphia regions.
TMJF's annual event blesses area PA families for the Holiday
On Monday, December 12, 2016, TMJF kicked off the holiday season, providing holiday meal baskets for 140 Philadelphia families at the Foundation’s annual ‘Holiday Dinner Basket Surprise’ in collaboration with ACME Markets, the Philadelphia Police Department and the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police.In keeping with the jersey number (27) that Jenkins wears on the field, The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation selected 27 local community organizations to serve as partners in identifying five (5) families from within the community their organization serves, in need of a festive blessing. Each partnering organization picked up the festive gifts during the event, and delivered them to their chosen families.The Philadelphia Police Athletic League hosted the event at the Cozen PAL Center located at 732 N. 17th Street in partnership with the Philadelphia Police Department. In addition to handing out dinner baskets, Jenkins, TMJF and Philadelphia Police Community Relations Officers hand delivered holiday dinner baskets to select families with children under the age of 12, surprising each child with toys. With support from the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #5, 27 area families received 300 toys this holiday season.
# Giving Tuesday - Help Us Put Food On The Tables
AS most of us are penning our wish lists and trimming the tree, there are thousands of families struggling just to put food on the table. A nourishing meal with family and friends is a holiday tradition that makes the season special. At The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation, we are committed to making the season brighter for families who might not otherwise be able to share a holiday meal.On Tuesday, November 29th, The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation will kick off its annual holiday campaign by participating in #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving.Since 2011, partnering with 27 local church and social service organizations (reflective of the jersey number I wear on the field), the Foundation’s Holiday Dinner Basket Surprise has helped put food on the tables of hundreds of families. With your help, we will raise funds to continue to spread the spirit of giving through our Holiday Dinner Basket Surprise, providing turkeys and all the trimmings to 275 families in the Big Easy and City of Brotherly Love!Here are a few simple ways you can help us make a big impact:Make a donation on #GivingTuesday.Join us as a volunteer for the Holiday Dinner Basket Surprise events.Help us get the word out on social media using @TheMJFoundation and the hashtag #GivingTuesday.Take photos demonstrating why you love our organization and post on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.Do something kind for another person.Your generosity and #GivingTuesday donation, will help us build our baskets and keep holiday traditions alive for 275 families in need. We need your help to ensure our neighbors don’t go hungry this holiday season. Please support.With gratitude,Malcolm Jenkins, Chairman and Founder
Malcolm Jenkins among NFL players that met with lawmakers at Capitol Hill
Malcolm Jenkins and four other NFL players including, Anquan Boldin, Glover Quin, Josh McCown and Andrew Hawkins, spent Tuesday in Washington meeting with lawmakers to learn more about how to set policy changes into motion. The players met with Democratic congressmen Keith Ellison from Minnesota and Patrick Murphy from Florida. Other members of the Congressional Black Caucus and members of House Speaker Paul Ryan’s executive committee were there as well.Before making the trip, Jenkins told USA TODAY why he wanted to meet with lawmakers.“Moving forward, especially with the election, and now with having Donald Trump as president,” Jenkins said., “the biggest thing is teaching myself how this country works when it comes to laws and policies. That’s the biggest thing because there are a lot of different things that need to be worked on.”Jenkins has done his part to take a stand against the racial injustices that exist in this country by raising his right fist during the National Anthem before games. His actions have not stopped there.
The veteran safety is heavily involved in multiple communities including, New Orleans, New Jersey, Ohio, and Philadelphia. Jenkins feels it is mandatory to do more than just protest before games.“The biggest thing is it’s important for guys to step up and actually do stuff because the world is waiting for us to forget about it,” Jenkins said. “Once you cause the commotion and you raise this red flag, you can’t just walk away from it. Donating money and all that stuff is cool as well, but people want to see us get involved and really be a part of the change we’re so loudly proclaiming needs to happen.“It’s one of those things where it’s like, ‘OK if you want me to invest my time and you’re telling me this is something that needs to be changed, well, you invest and I’ll match what you put in.’ If all we do is take a knee or raise our fist and then cut a check, then nobody is really going to help or believe in the cause that we’re trying to fight so hard for.”
VICE SPORTS - MALCOLM JENKINS GOES ON A RIDE ALONG WITH PHILLY PD (TRAILER)
At 9 PM on Monday the VICE Sports' series The Clubhouse will debut as an hour long special on ESPN2.From Executive Producer Carmelo Anthony, The Clubhouse is a new platform for star athletes to tell stories that transcend sports and have larger implications about the world in which we live. Each short documentary is a behind the scenes, immersive dive into an issue that both has a direct impact on the athlete and is relatable to a broader audience.Several high-profile athletes are featured, including Anthony and Eagles All-Pro Safety Malcolm Jenkins, as he spends time on the beat with Philadelphia law enforcement. Cameras ride with a sports star throughout each episode, seeing their world with a distinctly personal lens. The Clubhouse humanizes athletes and introduces issues in ways that have never been seen before.Also, beginning tonight and continuing through December, blocks of VICE World of Sports, hosted by Sal Masekela, will air on ESPN2, bringing the acclaimed VICELAND series to a robust audience of sports fans. Additionally, every Friday, ESPN Films' Emmy-nominated documentary series 30 for 30 airs on VICELAND.
[Passion to Purpose] NFL Baller Malcolm Jenkins
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|TMJF Host 3rd Annual Blitz, Bow-Ties & Bourbon in Philadelphia
The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation’s 3rd Annual Blitz, Bow-Ties and Bourbon fundraiser, was held Monday, October 24th at the historical Union Trust at 717 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, P.A. The highly-anticipated event drew more than 200 attendees, including Philadelphia’s most influential business leaders and celebrities, and many of Jenkins’ Philadelphia Eagles teammates. The event raised more than $90,000 to expand the Foundation’s Philadelphia-based youth programs. Blitz, Bow-Ties & Bourbon, had a luxurious vibe from the beginning as Jenkins and other Eagles players arrived in Bentley and Rolls Royce vehicles, courtesy of F.C. Kerbeck & Sons. As guests walked the red carpet, Philadelphia Jazz legend, Luke Carlos O’Reilly and Friends of Black Tie Entertainment, owned the main stage with electric performances throughout the night. Sponsors and VIP ticket holders were treated to a pre-event exclusive experience, hosted by Maker’s Mark that included: a live wax dipping for personalized rocks glasses, a small batch bourbon tasting and presentation by Beam Suntory Bourbon Master, Rob Mullane, Maker’s Mark soaked cigars, as well as, personalized custom etching of Knob Creek Whiskey bottles. Guests had the opportunity to get footballs personally autographed by Eagles stars Malcolm Jenkins, Jon Dorenbos, Jordan Matthews, Connor Barwin, Jordan Hicks, Nolan Carroll, Rodney McLeod, Zach Ertz and Chris Maragos, all in attendance. SpiritForward’s Dan Hamm and his team of mixologists presented customized craft cocktails and guests noshed on signature bites from Bank & Bourbon’s Chef Thomas Harkins, Chef Josh Lawler from Farm and Fisherman, Chef Chip Roman of Blackfish and Tradestone Chocolate, Executive Chef Jon Oh and Chef Joseph Nocella from Scarpetta, and Executive Chef Terry Owens from Capital Grille.Malcolm Jenkins, Founder and Chairman of The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation, spoke passionately from the stage as he officially opened the evening program. Announcing his commitment to improving the lives of youth and their families in underserved communities, he spoke about the plight of children in Philadelphia’s Promise Zone, a two-mile radius in Western Philadelphia, which currently has a 57% poverty rate and lack of educational resources. In July 2016, the Foundation collaborated with Drexel University’s ExCITe Center to create Summer S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Athletics, & Mathematics), a newly innovative week-long day camp for middle school students that uniquely integrates science, math, and technology with areas of creative and performing arts and athletics including Music Technology (Acoustics and Sound Synthesis), Visual Arts (Geometry and Drawing/Painting), Game Design & Coding (Dance Algorithms, Creating Pixel Art), Athletics (Technology for Analyzing Performance) and Dance (Biology and Movement). Jenkins vowed that the Foundation will increase its programming each year to expand opportunities for youth and thanked attendees for their donations and support.Eagles Long Snapper and Magician Jon Dorenbos (“America’s Got Talent” “Ellen”) dazzled the crowd with a magic trick that literally had the room shaking with laughter, as he opened the live auction. Guests had the opportunity to bid on unique travel experiences from G2G Collection and one-of-a-kind memorabilia items provided by CSM. Blitz, Bow-Ties, & Bourbon was made possible through the generosity of the Foundation’s sponsors and corporate partners including Piascik, Thomas Jefferson University & Jefferson Health, The Money Athlete, The Ohio State University, Eagles Charitable Foundation, Beam Suntory / Maker’s Mark, Rock Avenue Bow-Ties, Ltd., G2G Collection, NBC10, 94 Sports WIP and F.C. Kerbeck & Sons.
Malcolm Jenkins provides funding for OSU Complete Athlete Program
On Oct. 1, 2016, Malcolm Jenkins, NFL Pro Bowl Safety for the Philadelphia Eagles, Super Bowl Champion, and former All-American Ohio State Buckeye, returned to his alma mater for homecoming and to watch the Buckeyes take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. During the first half of the football game, Jenkins participated in an on-field check presentation to The Ohio State University Athletic Department in the amount of $250,000.00, to support a new innovative life skills curriculum for current and former Ohio State student athletes. In 2015, Jenkins collaborated with Anomaly Sports Group President, Luke Fedlam, and Ohio State Athletics Director of Development, Raymont Harris, to develop the player transition program, entitled The Complete Athlete Program (CAP). The CAP program launched in May 2016 with a two-day seminar for approximately 20 current and former student athletes to help equip them with the essential knowledge and resources needed to successfully transition from their collegiate playing career. CAP participants were welcomed by Ohio State University Athletic Director, Gene Smith and participated in workshops held at Gerlach Hall on the Business School campus and at the Woody Hayes Athletic Complex. Jenkins committed to provide a significant financial contribution, as well as, participate in the launch of CAP. The CAP seminars included a wide array of industry leaders serving as guest speakers on topics that many athletes struggle with during their career transition:
Personal Financial Management: Lawrence Funderburke, FunderMax Fitness
Lifestyle Management: Ryan Broyles, NFL Free Agent
Family Relationships: Stephen Rhodes, Signify Wealth
Understanding the Importance of Credit: Dennis Maag / Brian Stablein, JP Morgan Chase
Networking 101: Bethny Brown, Vice President Human Resources at Scotts Miracle-Gro Company
Career Planning: Eddie George, Former NFL Player, Actor, Sports Analyst, and Professor
Malcolm Jenkins and other NFL players should be proud of protests
In Chicago, Malcolm Jenkins, Steven Means, Ron Brooks, and Marcus Smith II were the Eagles who raised their fists after a giant American flag was unfurled at Soldier Field. They should be proud of their willingness to take this stance, and all right-minded people around the league should be proud of their actions, too.Consider the following: Jenkins said he is the grandson of a Marine and Korean War veteran who was awarded the Purple Heart. Brooks said his girlfriend served in the Navy and is the daughter of a state trooper in Louisiana."Whenever you talk about race or just anything to do with social injustice," Jenkins said, "usually it's a hard conversation to have. ... A lot of arguments you hear is, 'Do it on your own time. Do it in a different way.' Well, the truth of the matter is, if you do it in a different way, that just allows you to ignore the issue."When you talk about real change, although a protest in itself doesn't change anything, it forces people to talk about it and it tugs on the social conscience of the citizens. So that's the biggest thing, how to get this topic in the minds of all those around the country and make them confront their own beliefs and thoughts and reasonings behind what they support and what they don't. And usually to do that, you have to disrupt something." Read complete ESPN article >>>
TMJF Pilot Summer S.T.E.A.M. Camp at Drexel ExCITe Center
Area middle school students in the Promise Zone experience Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Athletics & Mathematics at unique week long camp.The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation launched Summer S.T.E.A.M., a new innovative pilot program in collaboration with the ExCITe Center at Drexel University. The day camp, held July 11-15, will offer transdisciplinary learning experiences to a group of middle school students in the Philadelphia Promise Zone, with the goal to engage, educate and inspire students in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Athletics and Math, regardless of resources, in a wide range of formats.The modules of Summer S.T.E.A.M. uniquely integrate science, math, and technology with areas of creative and performing arts and athletics including Music Technology (Acoustics and Sound Synthesis), Visual Arts (Geometry and Drawing/Painting), Game Design & Coding (Dance Algorithms, Creating Pixel Art), Athletics (Technology for Analyzing Performance) and Dance (Biology and Movement). Specifically, the Athletics module is a unique addition to S.T.E.A.M and will offer the students the opportunity to see how science and technology enhance sports and physical training.Students will have the opportunity to develop individual inquiry-based projects and conduct a show-and-tell final presentation to Jenkins on Friday, July 15 on the last day of camp. The mission of The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation is to effectuate positive change in the lives of youth, particularly those in underserved communities, by providing resources, innovative opportunities and experiences that will help them succeed in life and become contributing members of their communities. Summer S.T.E.A.M. is an extension of the unique educational programming currently being offered by The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation, such as Project REWARDS, a life skills curriculum and The Malcolm Jenkins Scholars.Eagles Pro-Bowler Safety Malcolm Jenkins was eager to launch the program. “Kids want to learn and be exposed to unique experiences and Summer S.T.E.A.M. allows them to re-imagine education by reshaping how and where learning occurs. By offering this program, we want to spark, nurture and inspire a lifelong interest in the STEM disciplines and show them how education can lead the way to new opportunities and success in life,” said Jenkins. The participating middle school students are residents in the Philadelphia Promise Zone. The Promise Zone is a nearly two-square mile area in West Philadelphia, identified by the Obama Administration in 2014 as an urban area that lacks resources and faces challenges associated with persistent poverty. The Promise Zone initiative is a new effort to support the neighborhoods of Mantua and West Powelton, as well as Powelton Village and Belmont, which currently have a poverty rate of about 51 percent.Summer S.T.E.A.M. was a natural fit for the ExCITe Center. Building off the success of the ExCITe Center’s Summer Music Technology program for high school students, Drexel University was pleased when The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation approached them with the idea to offer a new program for middle school age youth. According to Dr. Youngmoo Kim, Director of the ExCITe Center, “The goal of S.T.E.A.M. is to enhance learning by integrating experiences across a wide range of disciplines, from science and math to arts and athletics. We’re thrilled to partner with the Malcolm Jenkins Foundation, highlighting the unique transdisciplinary nature of sports and athletics and extending our efforts to engage younger students.”The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation plans to partner with Drexel University to offer Summer S.T.E.A.M. next summer following this year’s pilot program, with the goal to extend Summer S.T.E.A.M. to two weeks, thus providing up to 50 area middle school students with the opportunity.
CCSNJ Pinnacle Awards Honors Malcolm Jenkins with Chairman's Award
EVENT: CCSNJ’s 21st annual Pinnacle Awards Dinner
CCSNJ will recognize and thank members who further the Chamber’s goals in South Jersey, support the region as a profitable and friendly place to do business, make significant contributions to their communities, and are willing to go the extra mile to help the Chamber and fellow members.
WHO:
Malcolm Jenkins, Pro-Bowl Safety, Philadelphia Eagles, and Founder & Chairman, The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation - CHAIRMAN'S AWARD and Keynote Speaker
Resorts Casino Hotel - PRESIDENT’s AWARD
Paymon Rouhanifard, Superintendent, Camden City School District - EDUCATION AWARD
Conner, Strong & Buckelew -WELLNESS AWARD
The Honorable Jeff Van Drew, New Jersey Senate, District 1 - PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD
DATE: Tuesday, June 21, 2016
TIME: Cocktail Reception – 6:00 p.m.
Dinner – 7:00 p.m.
Awards Presentations – 8:00 p.m. (approximately)
LOCATION: Lucien’s Manor
81 W White Horse Pike, Berlin, NJ 08009
SPONSORS: AmeriHealth New Jersey, Atlantic City Electric, Parker McCay, South Jersey Gas, TD Bank
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The Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey is the largest business organization in Southern New Jersey. It is the first and only Chamber of Commerce in the country to have earned ISO 9001:2008 certification. The mission of the Chamber is: to provide members with opportunities to meet and do business; resources to enhance members’ position in the marketplace; and a collective voice on public policy impacting operations and profitability.
TMJF hosts 5th annual Next Level Youth Football Camp
On June 24-25, Malcolm Jenkins, Pro Bowl Safety for the Philadelphia Eagles hosted The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation fifth annual Next Level Youth Football Camp for 425 area boys and girls, ages 7-17 at Piscataway High School. Advancing the Foundation’s mission to effectuate positive change in the lives of young people and the communities in which they reside, the camp provided parents and guardians in attendance with industry-leading resources to help them understand how to help protect the health and safety of their young athletes in all sports, especially football. The FREE health, wellness and sports safety information sessions were offered through a partnership with Safe Kids-NJ, a program founded and sponsored by Johnson & Johnson and other invited guests. Topics included Nutrition and Hydration, Concussion Recognition and Recovery, Overuse Injury Prevention and Care, Importance of Sleep in Athletes, Mental Health Issues and Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Athletes.Sport Testing Inc., a leading provider of sport specific player testing and athletic assessment technologies, provided state-of-the-art combine testing to all campers, sponsored by Dynasty Sports Group. Sport Testing Inc., a company founded by former New Orleans Saints Super Bowl Champion Marques Colston.NFL players participating in the camp included Larry Fitzgerald (Arizona Cardinals), Connor Barwin (Philadelphia Eagles), Devin McCourty (New England Patriots), Marques Colston (former New Orleans Saints), Jonathan Casillas (New York Giants), James Laurinatis (New Orleans Saints), Mike Adams (Indianapolis Colts), Brandon Bing (former New York Giants), Isa Abdul Quddus (Miami Dolphins) and Vinny Curry (Philadelphia Eagles).This year’s camp was made possible through the generosity of sponsors and community partners including Merrill Lynch, Dynasty Sports Group, Jimmy John’s (Stelton Rd in Piscataway), AT&T, Safe Kids New Jersey Piscataway Township, Piscataway Township Schools, American Water, Philadelphia Eagles, NFLPA, Bash Company, Simon’s Fund, State Farm, PBA Piscataway Local 93, RWJ University Hospital, RWJ University Hospital Somerset, Gatorade, Futuristic Wear and a funding grant from the NFL Foundation.
All Sports United Radio Special - All Stars of Giving with Malcolm Jenkins
All Sports United Radio Special All Stars of Giving Edition 2 with Malcolm Jenkins, Steve Payne and Guy EastThis special edition of All Sports United Radio features 2016 All Stars of Giving Humanitarian of the Year finalists former NHL All Star Steve Payne, Philadelphia Eagles star Malcolm Jenkins and Professional Cyclist Guy East. All Sports United Radio host TJ Rives speaks with Steve Payne about his NHL career as well as his work with "Project Healing Waters". Also featured is Philadelphia Eagles star Malcolm Jenkins who talks about his foundation which helps underserved communities in Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio and and New Jersey. Finally Professional Cyclist Guy East who talks about "Hope Sports" which helps athletes help others through serving the less fortunate.
Jenkins makes 'proud' New Orleans return to award scholarships
When the New Orleans Saints allowed safety Malcolm Jenkins to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2014, the Super Bowl champion and onetime Pro Bowler vowed his departure would not mean the end of his involvement with the city where he started his professional football career.
Jenkins, one of its advisory board members, uses his foundation’s Project Rewards program to provide some of those students with a four-year, life-skills curriculum and scholarships to help them with on-campus fees and expenses. College Track is in its fifth year, and joining its 44 college-bound students gathered at Dillard University were the program’s first four participants to graduate from college this spring: Troy Simon, from Bard College; Irene Beauvais, from Howard University; Briana Brown, from Southeastern Louisiana University; and Jessica Irons, from Goucher College.
“I’m so proud of all of them for their perseverance and commitment, and I’m excited to be participating in their celebration,” Jenkins said in an email after the event. “It’s particularly special to see Troy graduate from Bard College and headed to Yale. He’s an example of what’s possible. Troy and the other students tonight are the reason we will keep this going in New Orleans.”The scholarships, which are awarded to college-bound students who have completed the Project Rewards life-skills curriculum, went to 13 area students in categories including academic excellence, overcoming adversity and most improved.
Jenkins spent five seasons with the Saints, beginning with their 2009 Super Bowl season, before joining the Eagles in 2014. He met his wife in New Orleans, and his daughter was born here.Jenkins, an Ohio State graduate, said the killing of his friend and former teammate Will Smith, also an Ohio State alumnus, last month only underscores the importance of positive intervention in the lives of young people.
The New Orleans Advocate - Original article http://www.theneworleansadvocate.com/news/15784095-171/former-saint-malcolm-jenkins-makes-proud-new-orleans-return-to-award-scholarshipsMalcolm Jenkins maintains strong commitment to New Orleans' youth
Malcolm Jenkins' last trip to New Orleans was in the aftermath of violence.He stood at a podium to deliver a tribute for Will Smith at the funeral of his former New Orleans Saints teammate, Ohio State brother and good friend. It was moving. It was heartfelt. It was somber.The tragic ending is one more reason why Jenkins hasn't surrendered on his mission for The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation in New Orleans."Violence and crime happen every single day (in New Orleans)," Jenkins told me earlier this week. "Sometimes it takes those highly visible figures or something to make some realize what's happening every single day. It's really affecting our youth. It's not just adults dealing with this. It's our teenagers. "A lot of it is because they don't know they have other options. They've never seen any other options or any other ways to do things." Jenkins started the charity in 2010 while with the Saints to help supply New Orleans' youth with an avenue away from potential crime and violence. He wanted a route for those who wouldn't have dreamed about college to receive the necessary skills to make it there.
Jenkins will give another speech in New Orleans at Dillard on Thursday evening. This one will be more about hope and triumph. This one will be a victory speech over crime and violence.Through the foundation's Project REWARDS program and in collaboration with College Track New Orleans, Jenkins will award a round of scholarships for the fifth consecutive year to a selection of graduating seniors. It's the third round of scholarships doled out since Jenkins signed with Philadelphia in 2014."Obviously when I left New Orleans, I wanted to make sure everything stayed in tact," Jenkins said. "I don't see that changing. We started in New Orleans because we saw that there was a need. Just because I leave doesn't mean that the need leaves. So it's important for us to stay in the community and continue to help."It's a city that I love and that's supported me. I just try to do my part to give back."Someone like Troy Simon is exactly why Jenkins continues his efforts in earnest.Simon also will be a keynote speaker with Jenkins at Thursday's event. Simon was a member of the first group to receive a scholarship in 2012.Simon himself sometimes wonders how he's advanced this far.He didn't learn to read until he was an early teenager. As First Lady Michelle Obama described, Simon "would regularly cut school because the other students would tease him. When he did attend, he'd shove desks, start fights -- anything to get him out of class." Simon didn't want others knowing he couldn't read.Why does the First Lady know Simon's story? Read full article>>>
Malcolm Jenkins returns to give back to Columbus
Former Ohio State cornerback Malcolm Jenkins remembers the thrill of being the 14th overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft. But seven years since, and a day after the 2016 first round that saw five Buckeyes taken, Jenkins was gaining satisfaction of a different sort.This morning he was at the Columbus Urban League parking lot off Mount Vernon Avenue helping coordinate the second Get Ready Fest, a collaboration of his Malcolm Jenkins Foundation, Feed the Children and Teleperformance. With its mission to distribute a 25-pound box of food and a 10-pound box of personal hygiene products to 1,200 pre-identified families who can use the help, the orderly line stretched down the block.“We’re feeding and helping over 4,500 people,” Jenkins said. “They get not only the food, but they get resources, they get haircuts, help services -- everything that they need to really get a kick start.“Everything that we do we focus on youth, and families, and under-served communities because, you know, I’ve been blessed. There are people in need that look up to me as an athlete, that look up to everybody (including the hundreds of volunteers involved), and this is an opportunity for us to give back.” Ironically, it was his being drafted in 2009 that helped set him on this path. He was taken by the New Orleans Saints, thrusting him into a city still in the early years of its recovery from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.“Seven years ago I was getting drafted to a city that had a lot of need,” Jenkins said. “I got to look around the community and could see there were people that needed help. So I did what little part that I could.“And through the Malcolm Jenkins Foundation we just started to give back to all the communities that have affected me.”That list includes New Orleans; his hometown area in and around Piscataway, N.J.,; Philadelphia, where he now plays for the Eagles; and Columbus, where he was a star for the Buckeyes. The program is in its fourth year overall.Asked whether he’d recommend becoming involved in such endeavors to those drafted on Thursday night, Jenkins said, “I think it’s all personal, and it all depends on what you want to invest your money in.“For me, I like to invest not only my money but my time into other people. I know that some people, whether it be (his former OSU coach and now Youngstown State University president) Jim Tressel, be it my high school coaches, my parents, they invested time in me, and I know the impact that it’s had on my life. So that’s what I like to give back to other people.”His friend and former New Orleans teammate Will Smith, who played at Ohio State before him, had been involved in several chartitable endeavors during his playing days and since his career ended after the 2013 season. But Smith, 34, was shot to death on a New Orleans street several weeks ago after a late-night traffic accident escalated into a confrontation with the driver who had hit him from behind.“Unfortunately I don’t know what the lesson is from this tragedy beside the fact life is short and you’ve got to enjoy the time you have with your friends and family,” Jenkins said. “It’s a tragic situation, and it brings to light to a bigger narrative about violence and some senseless acts.“That’s because it’s one thing to read a news clip about Will Smith’s passing, but it’s a different thing to go to his funeral and see his three kids and his wife who will never have him again. That’s something that I think we’ve become numb to. ... Will Smiths happen across this country every single day, and it’s unfortunate.”Jenkins, meanwhile, is an NFL veteran and Pro Bowl performer who has persevered for two teams during the past seven years, so he had some advice for those being drafted this week.“One, enjoy the ride,” he said. “There’s a lot of things, a lot of pressure, a lot of tugging and pulling -- everything is really set up for you to fail, basically. But you’ve got to enjoy it. And then, just be smart. Have a plan, because football is very, very short.“The law of averages say you’re only going to play for three years; if you play any more than that you’re lucky. But you’ll most likely be done playing when you’re 35. There’s a lot of life to live after that. We get kind of brainwashed to think that football is all we can do. Enjoy it while you have it, take advantage of it while you have it, but also prepare for a life afterwards.”Original article taken from Columbus Dispatch | Ohio State Buckeyextra: http://buckeyextra.dispatch.com/content/stories/2016/04/30/0430-malcolm-jenkins.htmltmay@dispatch.com@TIM_MAYsports