Stevie Baggs is always giving. On the Canadian Football field, Baggs gives emergency-room body blows to the quarterbacks that he torpedoes into, often leaving his helpless prey in piles of lumps on the gridiron. Off the field, the defensive end and linebacker for the Saskatchewan Rough Riders specializes in giving back to the youth through his CETA Foundation (Creating Empowerment Through Autonomy, www.cetafoundation.org).
Baggs and CETA, in conjunction with actress Demetria McKinney (“Tyler Perry’s House of Payne”), hosted an AIDS Awareness Cocktail Reception at the Over Da Edge Dinner Club in Atlanta.
“I had a close family friend, actually he was like a godfather to my brother and I growing up, and he died from this terrible disease,” says Baggs, who is also a budding model and actor. “So that was a very strong wake-up call for me. In addition to that, I just feel like our people [African Americans] are the ones suffering from this the most; so this platform that I have gives me another opportunity to help someone.”
Baggs, who also played for the Detroit Lions and Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL, is set to return north of the border to resume his campaign of hunting quarterback flesh. But recently, a kinder, gentler Baggs hosted a football camp to imbue self-worth into area youth. “Our main objective is to show them that being an athlete or entertainer is no the only means to success,” says Baggs, who also gives out smiles at frequent intervals. “It can be a means to success, but it’s not the only way. It’s one of the biggest illusions that we’re dealing with [when it comes to] our youth.”
Baggs has no illusion that it will take the entire community to save our youth. –terry shropshire
