Staff Writer
Joe Rankin is not yet 21 and already has lived two distinct lives. And he likes the more recent one, where he went from a star on and off the football field at Seneca Valley to an on-scholarship, defensive back at Morgan State University with NFL aspirations.
At the sixth annual Pro Power Football Camp last week at Northwood, he described his past, before organization founder Mark Smith changed it.
“He was always in my ear telling me what I can be, what I can do instead of what I couldn’t do or what I’m not,” said Rankin, a 2009 Seneca alumnus. “One day I was just riding past the football field at Seneca Valley and the kids were out there playing and I was like, ‘That could be me.’ ”
A troubled child, he became the epitome of what Smith strived for when he created the Pro Power Foundation in 2006. Rankin went from the defunct Mark Twain School for students with emotional and behavioral problems where Smith taught to straight-A student and All-Gazette first teamer as a junior and senior.
He spent most of the eight-hour-a-day camp June 20-24 instructing nearly 60 children ages 7-17, and wasn’t alone. NFL veterans Leigh Bodden (New England Patriots) and Vernon Davis (San Francisco 49ers) are among several big names who support Pro Power, and came to Northwood to share their experiences during the week. Past camp visitors include former Washington Redskins, the late Sean Taylor and Shawn Springs (Springbrook, 1996), and Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco.
Pro Power is a nonprofit initiative geared toward guiding youth to their full potential through involvement in academic supports, mentorship, local athletics, health education and injury prevention programs, according to its website.
“A lot of these kids are just looking for mentors and role models they can identify with,” said Smith, a 1991 Sherwood graduate. “They are looking for someone to affirm them, tell them they can do something with their lives. It’s important to be authentic with them. They have to believe you’ve gone through something.
“If you work hard at anything and have the groundwork, anything is possible.”
The camp is intended to provide athletes with tools necessary for high-level football, according to Smith. Northwood football coach Dennis Harris offered to host this year’s camp, eager to help rebuild struggling, Downcounty Consortium football programs.
That starts with academic eligibility, Smith said. But grades and football aren’t the only focal points.
“We’re also trying to teach these kids how to be responsible young men,” said former Seneca Valley quarterback Brandon Chapman, who led the Screaming Eagles to the 2002 state title. “We drive them to want to be better in whatever they do. We’re out here pushing them in the right way, to be able to get that extra effort they’re willing to put forward, but just don’t know how.”
Smith said he has funded most of Pro Power out of his own pocket , and is in search of sponsorships. He hopes to identify troubled area youth early, notably ones who would embrace help from Pro Power.
NFL players may leave larger-than-life impressions, but Rankin is Pro Power’s symbol. A rising sophomore education major, he embraces the role of mentor after years of being the mentee.
“Given the fact I was able to experience both sides of life, one being successful, one not being successful, living a successful life is amazing,” Rankin said. “I believe that kids are the future. The reason I want to give back and surround myself with youth is because I believe there are a lot of superstars out there. You just have to find them, help them.”
jbeekman@gazette.net