CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Two West Virginia natives kicked off their youth outreach initiative Wednesday with a banquet and raffle in South Charleston.
Randy Moss and Carl Lee are co-partners with Legends Building Legends, an organization aimed at teaching youth about leadership and life skills using sports. Moss, a native of Rand, and Lee, a South Charleston native and resident, played in the National Football League for 26 combined seasons, with both men spending much of their respective careers playing for the Minnesota Vikings.
Wednesday’s event at the South Charleston Holiday Inn featured a banquet and raffle aimed at raising funds for a football combine; the event, set for next year, will test young athletes on their skills. Forty-two kids between third grade and 12th grade will travel to the National Pro Football Hall of Fame Academy in Canton, Ohio, to work with football coaches and players.
“While it’s easy to say you can play football and get to the NFL, there’s a process in there that requires different things that a lot of people don’t know,” Lee said. “Our role is trying to introduce that to the public, to parents, to the kids, so that they understand the dynamic.”
Lee said he considers it important for people like himself to give back to their hometowns.
“Once you’ve had that experience, the thing that you want is for other kids to have that experience,” he said.
Lee noted a future goal is having a facility where they can work with children — not just young athletes — on an array of skills.
“Sports is ultimately about teaching lessons. That’s leadership, that’s the ability to speak on camera and to a mic, finances,” he said. “We want to have a facility where youth can come specifically for those needs because right now, there is nowhere for you to go. And it’s not having specifically in sports. Sports used to be the groundwork of all that. That’s gone because winning has become so relevant that no one is worried about the lessons that you get. They’re just worried about winning.”
The event featured memorabilia from multiple college and professional fooball individuals, including John Randle, who played with Moss and Lee. West Virginia Lotter sponsored the banquet.