I doubt anyone remembers me, but I do hope someone around here still remembers Mike Rogers from the early days of GLB.
http://glb.warriorgeneral.com/game/home.pl?user_id=4053
At the remembrance reunion today we were again reminded of how far Mike's influence reached.
If you knew Mike at all, then you probably know he spent a lot of time and money working with London inner city youth, trying to offer them an alternative to the street gang culture he grew up in.
One example is the Community Center he founded (which I am posting from right now).
Another is the sponsorship foundation he helped start for British American football development.
Tragically, Mike's desire to help drag people out of London's gang culture led to his early death, but he didn't let that stop him.
As his brother Mark said at today's service, "It shouldn't be a surprise that Mike is still helping people after death, he technically died on the operating table on two separate occassions, and survived, each time he declared he was too busy to die, and had too many people relying on him."
And so we see the latest benefits of Mike's effort;
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000483066/article/cowboys-sign-london-warriors-prospect-efe-obada
In this video Aden Durde talks a little bit about the Sponsorship program Mike championed to bring talented British players and coaches to the attention of NFL/NCAA teams.
The fund has grown over time and also goes towards providing UK based university scholarships, and bringing talented US staff over to host training camps for UK players and coaches. (Mike had forged good working relationships in Texas football circles from his time coaching Texas High school football.)
http://www.nfluk.com/news/uknews/article-1/Abandoned-in-London-now-living-Dallas-dream/0af914f9-0f42-46d8-a843-9afcc491d266
But this is the main focus of Mike's legacy, the commitment to seek out young vulnerable children and engage them in organised sporting activities, steer them away from crime and gang culture and into education and employment (often employed at his own security firm). It was this principle that Mike drilled into everyone he played with or coached in BAFL/BUAFL, and he met or coached almost everyone at some point.
Efe Obada is just the latest of many people to have had their lives changed by Mike's efforts, many of whom never even knew he was responsible.
Not all of them got a chance as big as Efe has now, but they all had their lives changed forever.
Mike may not be with us anymore, and he might not be the one reaching out a helping hand to the kid in need, or the one signing the cheques for new pads for a new team, but his foundation, and the principles instilled into everyone he ever met mean his work continues through us.
RIP Mike, you earned it.
http://glb.warriorgeneral.com/game/home.pl?user_id=4053
At the remembrance reunion today we were again reminded of how far Mike's influence reached.
If you knew Mike at all, then you probably know he spent a lot of time and money working with London inner city youth, trying to offer them an alternative to the street gang culture he grew up in.
One example is the Community Center he founded (which I am posting from right now).
Another is the sponsorship foundation he helped start for British American football development.
Tragically, Mike's desire to help drag people out of London's gang culture led to his early death, but he didn't let that stop him.
As his brother Mark said at today's service, "It shouldn't be a surprise that Mike is still helping people after death, he technically died on the operating table on two separate occassions, and survived, each time he declared he was too busy to die, and had too many people relying on him."
And so we see the latest benefits of Mike's effort;
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000483066/article/cowboys-sign-london-warriors-prospect-efe-obada
In this video Aden Durde talks a little bit about the Sponsorship program Mike championed to bring talented British players and coaches to the attention of NFL/NCAA teams.
The fund has grown over time and also goes towards providing UK based university scholarships, and bringing talented US staff over to host training camps for UK players and coaches. (Mike had forged good working relationships in Texas football circles from his time coaching Texas High school football.)
http://www.nfluk.com/news/uknews/article-1/Abandoned-in-London-now-living-Dallas-dream/0af914f9-0f42-46d8-a843-9afcc491d266
But this is the main focus of Mike's legacy, the commitment to seek out young vulnerable children and engage them in organised sporting activities, steer them away from crime and gang culture and into education and employment (often employed at his own security firm). It was this principle that Mike drilled into everyone he played with or coached in BAFL/BUAFL, and he met or coached almost everyone at some point.
Efe Obada is just the latest of many people to have had their lives changed by Mike's efforts, many of whom never even knew he was responsible.
Not all of them got a chance as big as Efe has now, but they all had their lives changed forever.
Mike may not be with us anymore, and he might not be the one reaching out a helping hand to the kid in need, or the one signing the cheques for new pads for a new team, but his foundation, and the principles instilled into everyone he ever met mean his work continues through us.
RIP Mike, you earned it.
) 
