BALTIMORE — On Sundays, he wears 32. He's got 19 career interceptions. And in a room in North Baltimore on Monday night, dozens of young men looked up to him.
A defensive back, giving back to Baltimore; Marcus Williams, the Ravens' first-string free safety, took the time to inspire the next generation of athletes in Baltimore City at a nonprofit called Next One Up.
"We all go through different adversities in our life, that if we're willing to face them and conquer them and overcome them, we can be whoever we want to be," Williams said in front of the young men Monday night.
Next One Up helps young men, not just in school, but in life; in the rooms at their new location off York Road, student-athletes get hours of out-of-school mentoring to set them up for the future.
"If you stay consistent, be true to your word, and just provide an opportunity, all young folk just want an opportunity and that's what we do here," Derrick Lifsey, the program's Chief Accountability Officer, told WMAR.
Ages range from 12 to adulthood; they get help with academics, careers, and life skills.
On Monday night, the young men enjoyed a bite to eat and a bit of advice from a role model: a reminder to stay determined, and keep the end goal in mind, whatever that may be.
"I love giving back," Williams added, "and giving what I've learned in my life back to the young student athletes."
The Ravens clinched a playoff berth over the weekend after winning on Sunday evening against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
