In partnership with the Brotherhood Crusade on Thursday, February 11, Los Angeles Rams Defensive Lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day held a virtual mentorship session for more than 50 youth.
During the discussion, Joseph-Day shared excerpts from his own playbook to success, his personal story, the impact sports have had on his life, and the power of a mentor who helped him carve a pathway to success.
"There was one guy. There was one guy who believed in me," said Joseph-Day to the group of students.
A coach. A mentor.
While his parents instilled in him the importance of education, Joseph-Day credits much of his success to a high school coach in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, who taught him how to be a contributor on and off the football field and showed him the ropes of the college recruiting process which ultimately led to a scholarship to Rutgers University and eventually the Los Angeles Rams.
"Anything that's worth it, as far as what you want to accomplish or become, it's not going to be easy. Always keep the goal at your heart," said Joseph-Day.
His message resonated with the attentive youth, who were eager to ask questions after hearing his story and advice during a Q & A portion at the end of the session.
Brandon Martin, a senior at George Washington High School, asked about making the transition from high school to college.
"I really just stayed home and studied. I applied myself," said Joseph-Day. "It's hard, especially during that time when you want to enjoy the fun going on with your friends. I took the time, no matter how long it took, to spend time in those books."
Joseph-Day was also asked how he builds in the necessary personal time needed to efficiently achieve his goals.
"I write down all of my goals and I still do to this day," said Joseph-Day. "I take a picture of it and set it as the background of my phone so the first thing I see when I pick up my phone are the goals I want to attain."
Joseph-Day's virtual visit is part of a monthly mentoring session with Rams players that resulted from a conversation between Charisse Bremond, President and CEO of Brotherhood Crusade, and Rams Vice President of Community Affairs and Engagement Molly Higgins, in the wake of civil unrest that struck the nation in 2020.
"As people were searching for the right things to do immediately, it was important to me that the Rams acted with immediate urgency, but also demonstrated a long-term commitment," said Higgins. "I had conversations with many community leaders on the front lines working every day for racial and social justice and Charisse is definitely one of the leaders in Los Angeles who has her finger on the pulse. And with that, we launched the monthly mentoring sessions where Rams players and staff meet with Brotherhood's young people to share their journeys and lessons learned, with the goal of providing them words of wisdom and inspiring them to dream."
Senior Vice President of Programs at Brotherhood Crusade Shakoya Green expressed the impact Joseph-Day's visit had on the participants.
"The youth were very encouraged by Mr. Joseph–Day's emphasis on the importance of education…having a mentor is an invaluable experience. Having someone to help mold you and develop healthy habits and relationships is important and develops the framework for adulthood," said Green.
Brotherhood Crusade is a 50-year old grassroots organization with a vision of improving quality of life and meeting the unmet needs of low-income, underserved, under-represented and disenfranchised individuals. Their mission is to remove and/or help individuals overcome the barriers that deter their pursuit of success in life and facilitate opportunities for a better quality of life by effectuating improved health & wellness, facilitating academic success, promoting personal, social & economic growth, providing access to artistic excellence & cultural awareness, increasing financial literacy and building community agencies & institutions.
More information about the Rams' community outreach efforts, please visit www.therams.com/community.
