Top Recruits Join WWE Star to Lend Helping Hand to Homeless for Thanksgiving

With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, touted recruits such as 5-star corner Saivion Smith and 4-star receiver Nate Craig-Myers have plenty to be thankful for.

Smith, a current LSU commit, and Craig-Myers are two of the top recruits in the 2016 cycle—each with more than 20 offers to their credit.

Yet last Saturday, just days ahead of Thanksgiving, the pair of prep stars from the Tampa area were part of a group of young student athletes who took part in a drive to feed the community’s homeless.

The event was held at the local Salvation Army and organized by Hopeful Inc. in conjunction with Unsigned Preps—a local nonprofit organization specializing in providing high school football players guidance and assistance along the path toward a college scholarship.

Led by UP founders Ricky Sailor and Romey Battle, the group helped feed more than 250 of the community’s less fortunate residents a meal filled with holiday staples such as turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and pie.

“It means a lot,” Smith told Bleacher Report about his participation in the event. “Just being able to give back to people who need it the most. It’s just one of those things that makes you feel good and it’s something I’m glad to be a part of.”

Craig-Myers echoed those sentiments. The 6’2”, 205-pounder told the Recruitniks podcast recently about his desire to make a difference through community service, and this event was just the latest opportunity for him to lend a helping hand.

“It’s a blessing and I just feel that if I have an opportunity to help the less fortunate. I’m going to do whatever it takes to see a smile on their faces,” Craig-Myers said.

Credit: Romey Battle

For Battle—who serves as the Director of Student Development for Unsigned Preps—the project holds a special place in his heart.

“[It] is very important to me because my father was homeless for most of my adult life,” he said. “Seeing these young men give back at such a young age is moving.”

One of the mentors involved with Unsigned Preps, Thaddeus Bullard—who is also known as WWE superstar wrestler Titus O’Neil—is a former pro football player who has spoken to the kids in the program about using the platform that sports provides to help the community. 

“With Unsigned Preps, we talk to them all the time about being great people and men of character,” Bullard said. “A lot of them come from disadvantaged backgrounds. So for them to be able to go out and perform that kind of service to those in need, it’s great to see. The message is getting received loud and clear that character is more important than just athletic ability alone.”

Having once been in the shoes of touted recruits such as Smith and Craig-Myers, Bullard recognizes the example they are helping to set for their peers and kids who are watching their every move.

“It’s awesome because these kids are getting ready to go off to college and make big names for themselves,” Bullard said. “Some of them are going to have an opportunity to play professional football, but they will always call Tampa home. Therefore, they are already setting a standard as being role models to those that they play with now and their brothers, cousins and those that come after them.”

Credit: Romey Battle

One of the highlights Bullard recalls was hearing a testimonial from one resident who has battled with drug and alcohol addiction. Despite the path his life has taken, he spoke on how he felt blessed to still be alive and share his story with others in hopes they find an alternate route.

“That helped bring everything in perspective for that day,” Bullard said. “With the Thanksgiving holidays coming up, some people don’t have anything, but they are thankful just to be alive. That’s the message that even hit me.”

Smith recounts seeing a lady in the food line with her two children, which is something he said makes an impact that goes beyond his abilities to make plays on the gridiron.

While the world of recruiting, especially at this time of year, tends to generate headlines that range from negative to ridiculous, Smith credits the figures behind groups such as Unsigned Preps for creating opportunities such as last weekend’s event to show how young athletes can help make a difference.

“It’s not just the kids in the program. It’s really people like Ricky Sailor and Antez Brinson, the guys who go out and get these events organized,” Smith explained. “I think it’s really cool and I was glad to be a part of it.”

The next order of business for the group will be organizing a Christmas event centered around giving toys away for the community’s less fortunate children. As Craig-Myers noted, it’s another opportunity to give back to the community that has supported him in each step of his journey.

“Community service is important to me because I just want to show the people that I’m not just a ball player. I’m also a helping hand,” Craig-Myers explained. “Just having the [community] know about you and seeing the look on their faces when we impact their lives, that’s what it’s all about.”

Sanjay Kirpalani is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand and all recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.

Follow @SanjayKirpalani