Jarius Wright can remember his first jersey when he first started playing football in second grade – mesh in the chest, jersey-fabric shoulderpads – barely enough to make you feel like you were a real football player.
Thinking back on his first jersey – and wanting to show some kids from his home state there are those that believe in them – were a couple of the reasons that Wright, the Panthers receiver entering his eighth year in the league, decided to sponsor 120 jerseys for the Central City Seahawks, a team of youth football players in Little Rock, Arkansas that plays in the Independent Youth Football League, the oldest 11-man tackle football program in Central Arkansas.
“It’s not my hometown, but I’m an Arkansas guy, I’m from Arkansas,” said Wright, who’s from Warren, about 90 minutes south of Little Rock. “To give those kids a chance to play football, to feel good about what they’re wearing – anybody can get out here and give them some old practice jerseys or something like that – but for the kids to get their own jersey, be able to wear it with pride and to know it came from somebody that played for Arkansas, is from Arkansas and is also in the NFL, I feel like it just shows the kids and just gives them a chance.”
“For the kids to get a chance to see somebody that’s willing to help them and is willing to believe in them, I feel like that will help them believe more in themselves.”
When Faren Hall, who attended the University of Arkansas with Wright, reached out to the Panthers player, they only had a few short months to outfit the entire team, which consists of four age groups from as small as four years old to just under 13, that would play out their ten-week season every Saturday – except the bye week – with a chance to make the playoffs and make the Super Bowl.
But for Hall and Mario Smith, who took over coaching the team on a strictly volunteer basis, it’s about more than just football.
“Giving the kids some structure, we try to teach them about life things and things outside of football, we help with tutoring, we take the kids to high school games around the area to try to do little fun things and get them involved,” said Hall. “80% of our kids are African-American students coming from single-parent households, so we just try to instill the culture of having a positive male role model in their lives that they can look up to and reach out to.”
“We’re just trying to get out in the community and be a positive organization and outreach for the kids to have something to do other than just be home watching TV or out in the streets.”
The Seahawks and the IYFL charge a registration fee for each child to join the team – and without Wright’s sponsorship, that fee likely would have gone up, which might have kept some kids from being able to join the team. The jerseys, which sport a large JW on the sleeve to recognize Wright, help lower that fee via supplement and allow more children to be in the league.
“Helping this community, I was born and raised in this community – that’s where I’m from,” said Mario Smith, who took over the Seahawks three months ago. “It’s one of the lowest poverty [areas] of Little Rock, Arkansas. The more kids we’re able to sponsor, the more kids we can have show up.”
“I love football with all with a passion – that’s my heart, that’s my soul. But it’s about more than that, it’s about life.”
The Seahawks open their season this Saturday – and thanks to Wright, they’ll be looking good when they do.
