Manny Diaz should pair Ray Lewis with Demetrius Jackson to Speak to UM FB
Former Miami Hurricanes linebacker Ray Lewis is the epitome of the fast, violent and physical football player that Manny Diaz wants with the Miami Hurricanes. Demetrius Jackson is setting the tone how to be a community leader. Diaz should team them together.
Ray Lewis was the epitome of the type of Player Manny Diaz is looking for. He perfectly fits the profile of a Miami Hurricanes player, especially on the field. He was fast, violent and physical. Off the field he was polarizing.
Demetrius Jackson has become a shining example of how to give back the community. Pairing a legend with a young alum would provide a great example to the Miami Football players of what Diaz wants with the New Miami.
Lewis was incredibly controversial. It’s almost impossible to mention Lewis without his off the field run-ins with the law. Lewis was never convicted of murder in Atlanta unlike in the court of public opinion. He has also done a lot of good in the communities he has been involved in.
Lewis’ Hall of Fame induction speech from last summer is a must-see for most young players. Lewis is flawed like anyone. Parts of his life we should not look up to. Many other parts of his life we should.
Lewis taught some valuable lessons last summer during his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction speech in Canton, Ohio. The Super XXXV MVP frequently mentioned Dr. Martin Luther King in a speech reminiscent of the civil rights icon.
Shortly after Lewis’ induction, Canes Warning ran an excerpt of Lewis’ speech and how it was a perfect recruiting pitch for the Miami Football program. Here is another excerpt of his speech (courtesy ESPN) regarding life lessons. Manny Diaz would be wise to have Lewis and Jackson speak to the team during Spring Practice.
This part of Lewis’ speech relates a lot to what Jackson has tried to establish in the Miami community while attending college and the daily grind of being a college football player. Below is the excerpt from Lewis.
"“For all of us up here, it’s how we reacted to these challenges that determines our greatness. Now, how do we react to this moment? How do we turn our legend into legacy?"
"I’ve been thinking a lot about Martin Luther King and his challenge for us. His destiny was not to see his dream through but to spark the mind that will ask, ‘How do we execute that dream?’ Who will answer that knock on the door in the middle of the night? I see that it’s got to be us. It’s got to start right now.“Our country needs real leaders. We need people that are willing to step up and take action. We need people willing to fight for what is good and what is right. How do we react to challenges in our country right now?Think about this. We can go from being legends to building a legacy bigger than football, bigger than sports. I want us to work together to really take on these challenges, to look at our goals and what unites us. Surely, there is something….How can we do this? How can we come together? The answer is simple. The answer is love. Hope, faith and love and the greatest is love. I’m talking about a selfless love."
One way to use what Lewis said about Love would be to pair recent Miami Football alums with older legends to come and speak with the current group of Hurricanes led by Manny Diaz. The player that most comes to mind is Demetrius Jackson.
Jackson has dealt with numerous injuries throughout his football career at Miami. You will never find an athlete that fits the definition of selfless love more than Jackson.
Instead of pursuing a career in the NFL Jackson chose to return to his high school, Booker T. Washington in Miami to work as an assistant coach. Jackson has also handed out Turkeys with help from his teammates and several dozen others to hand out Turkeys in the Overtown section of Miami where he grew up.
Jackson announced in February he would be running for an undetermined public office in 2020. He made his announcement via Twitter. The combination of Lewis and Jackson would be riveting for young Miami Hurricanes football players.