By Mark Eckel, Player Engagement Insider
Quintin Mikell, the Philadelphia Eagles Director of Player Engagement, planned to have some of his players get involved in the community to help those less fortunate over the Thanksgiving holiday. Then, the players came to him.
“I wanted to do something. I was going over it, when they came to me,’’ Mikell said. “Some of the guys, a couple of the rookies actually, asked me, ‘What are we going to do?’ They wanted to help people at Thanksgiving. This was still in October. So, I told them we’re definitely going to do something, just give me a little time.’’
Mikell, with the help of Tori Kimberly and Carly Pennacchia, from the Eagles’ Community Relations Department, and thanks to those players, spent the Tuesday before Thanksgiving at MANNA, in downtown Philadelphia, preparing meals for those in need.
One of those players who came to Mikell was rookie wide receiver Paul Turner, an undrafted player out of Louisiana Tech, who became a fan favorite in the summer because of a standout performance in training camp and through the preseason games.
“Paul was one of the main ones,’’ Mikell said. “He kept asking me and even had some of his own ideas. I told him I would get together with Tori and Carly and we would come up with something. When I went to them they came up with the idea of going to MANNA.’’
MANNA, which stands for Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance, was founded in 2006 and is one of the Eagles’ community partners. The organization prepares healthy meals for people and provides them to families with illnesses who don’t have the wherewithal to help themselves. So, it made sense to get involved with the center city establishment. And on November 22nd, Mikell, along with Kimberly and Pennacchia, and 20 of the Eagles’ rookies and first-year players got on a bus, took the 15-minute ride and went to work.
Once they arrived the players helped prepare the Thanksgiving Day meals that would go out to the families in need throughout the city of Philadelphia, the northern and southern regions around the city and even into the southern part of New Jersey.
“I always felt that as player you have a responsibility to the city you’re playing in, and the earlier you get involved the better,’’ Mikell said. “I just think to show what this is really about, that as players in the NFL, with the platform that we have, what we are able to do, particularly when it comes to people in need. Even if it is just talking to them, having a conversation with them. You don’t realize it but that goes a long way. Just to offer some hope to them. I played a long time ago and I still have people come up to me and say remember that time I met you.’’
Turner and the other Eagles rookies, which included starting quarterback Carson Wentz, the second overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft, hope they made an early impression with their help at MANNA.
“In my opinion we’ve been blessed with so much,’’ Turner said. “God has given us the ability to play this game at the highest level. I think it’s only right for us to give back. To me this is a great opportunity, the perfect opportunity, for us to give back to people who need our help and especially right here in our area.’’