The Saginaw Sting players do more than just play football for a living

by James Falls For The Saginaw News
Sunday June 01, 2008, 10:24 PM

When game time arrives, players on the Saginaw Sting are all business, taking on the tasks of their assigned jobs in an effort to land another Continental Indoor Football League victory, like Saturday's 61-28 triumph in Milwaukee.

But it's back to the real world when the game ends, which for most of the players on the team means going about performing the tasks of their day jobs.
Having jobs outside of playing football is a great justification for wide receiver Charles Barber, and it's why he is sometimes late for meetings.

"The coaches want to get on me about being late, but it's like 'hey coach, I do have a job,' " jokes Barber.

Entertaining hundreds of fans weekly is not their only way of giving back to the community or helping kids; some professions of Sting players focus on just that.
Linebacker Kyle McKenzie teaches adults at Crossroads Adult School in Southfield. Quarterback Ryan Kaul is a special education teacher at Sashabaw Middle School in Sashabaw.

Offensive linemen Devaul Neal is a football coach for Henry Ford High School in Detroit.
Inspired by his own high school and college experiences, 6-foot-2 defensive linemen Eze Ejelonu is dedicated to help high school student-athletes with their transition to college academics and athletics through Daash Athletics, a program affiliated with 10/90 (10 percent physical/90 percent mental) sports camps.
It is a program where student-athletes can receive personal assistance, whether it is a personal trainer, academic assistance, scholarship searching or participation in camps and combines.
"Many athletes do not get the privilege to go on and play collegiate sports because their grades were bad or nobody helped them get noticed," says Ejelonu.

Besides working and playing football, some members of the Sting team also hang out together in their spare time. A group of former Michigan State University players -- wide receiver Charles Barber, defensive linemen Eze Ejelonu, defensive back Jeremiah McLaurin, quarterback Damon Dowdell, and offensive linemen Eric Knott -- hang out every chance they get.

"We play video games, go to clubs, go out to eat, you know, anything that a normal group of boys would do," says Barber.

After every game, each player stays on the field and signs autographs to fans.
Therefore, if you decide to head down to the field after a game, you could ask running back Nate Collins, a barber, to cut your hair, or defensive linemen LeRoy Barnes, a landscaper, to care for your lawn.

After all, these guys are working for a living, both on and off the playing field.