With the lockout showing no signs of stopping anytime soon, the NFL sure is in need of good publicity. The Buccaneers in particular could use a bit of a boost: fans were excited about the Bucs by the end of the 2010 season, but the recent Aquib Talib news is disturbing and not exactly great for public relations. It seems as though most stories written these days about NFL teams and players dwell on negatives rather than positives, so it can make perusing the sports page for football articles a depressing affair.
↵But then there's Gerald McCoy. The defensive tackle for the Bucs has recently traveled to Africa as a part of Pros for Africa, a non-profit organization that does charity work in poverty-stricken areas of the world. Their goal is to help provide for children in need, whether it be through building houses, digging wells, or providing medical care. McCoy traveled to Uganda last off season to help out, and this season he's traveled to Rwanda.
↵While in Africa, McCoy met up with a Bucs fan that lives in Rwanda and runs a women's college there. The story is pretty inspiring:
↵↵↵She wrote earlier today to report that she cocvinced McCoy and Titans defensive end Derrick Morgan to visit the Akilah Institute, where they spent time listening to and sharing with the girls, many of whom, according to Davis, have witnessed the unspeakable horrors of the country's civil war.
↵"The girls were absolutely thrilled," she wrote in an e-mail. "Most of them are genocide survivors and have had really tough lives and this was such a fun treat to have the guys on campus."
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It's always great to see players use their platform to support good causes. Kudos to McCoy for being a part of one of the few uplifting stories about the NFL in recent weeks.
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