NFL linebacker Demario Davis wants the next generation to avoid the mistakes he made. So he built his Devoted Dreamers Academy to nurture America’s future changemakers — both on and off the field.

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Long before he became a famed NFL linebacker, Demario Davis faced his fair share of challenges and pitfalls growing up. Alongside his success on the field, he was being pulled in the wrong direction by negative influences. During high school, he became involved in drugs and alcohol and was expelled from school. Later, during his first year of college, he landed in jail.

Despite the setbacks, Davis went on to graduate from Arkansas State University and play for both the New York Jets and New Orleans Saints. However, he recognized that many young athletes in similar positions might not have the resources he did to pull through and turn his life around.

That’s what led to him founding the Devoted Dreamers Academy, a community-level investment in educational opportunities for youth to achieve their dreams. Their goal is to equip the next generation of leaders with the tools to be successful spiritually, mentally, and physically — both on and off the field.

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