Nate Wiggins, 20, cried when his mother, Tamika Lucas, first suggested her athletic 4-year-old child play football.
“The coaches made me keep him on the field, and he just stayed in it,” Lucas told rolling out. “He learned the fundamentals of the game. He was already talented and athletic, so it wasn’t hard for him to pick up the skills that came with it. After a while, it was as simple as walking a dog.”
Three months ago, the Baltimore Ravens selected Wiggins with the 30th pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. The first-round call came after the cornerback left Clemson University early to pursue his professional aspirations.
Now, he’s back at Pittman Park in Atlanta and hosted his inaugural youth football clinic for 150 kids around his hometown.
“It was great giving back to where I came from,” Wiggins said. “Everybody had a good time, and I can’t wait until 2025.”
His growth and maturity have been something Stephon Brown, who has worked with Wiggins since he was in high school, has witnessed firsthand.
“It’s a blessing working with Ms. Tamika and Chad, his stepdad, putting the foundation together and [seeing] them grow,” Brown affirmed. “It’s a blessing [to] see him grow and mature, handle his business, and do things the right way, from coaching him in high school to seeing him grow now.”
Wiggins has always aimed to give back to his community and provide opportunities for city kids. As he walked around his camp, a crowd of kids followed him and asked for autographs and pictures.
“A lot of kids look up to him,” Lucas said, watching from a playground next to the football field-sized green space at the park. She had spent the previous four hours serving as the event’s emcee in 90-degree weather.
All of Wiggins’ close family and friends affiliated with the foundation sported T-shirts with Wiggins backpedaling in his NFL jersey. It’s another dream realized for a kid to become a professional athlete from the area, much like basketball Olympian guard Anthony Edwards and AJ Terrell, the star Atlanta Falcons cornerback who went to the same high school and college as Wiggins. Lucas fears the trend may dwindle due to the rise of technology.
“We have so many kids who are grounded in the house now,” Lucas said. “[They’re] playing video games and are on their cell phones. Coming back [to] Pittman Park, we’re trying to get the kids to come back [to] enjoy being outside.
“It amazed me to see all these kids, and [many] of them don’t even know the first step of playing football because they are so grounded in the house, preoccupied with video games and cell phones.”
