SB Nation has been fortunate enough to put together a series of videos with various NFL players titled "Origins". The idea behind the series is to take a look at where these professional athletes came from on their road to the NFL. We usually know about their college and professional careers, but we rarely get a full handle on their life growing up before college. This series helps provide a little more context.
The latest video features Anquan Boldin, and focuses on his life in Pahokee, Florida. SB Nation had a chance to speak with several members of his family, as well as his high school coach. The video opens talking about what life is generally like in Pahokee, and then goes on to talk about Anquan Boldin's development as a freshman in high school. It's a great video, and I highly recommend watching it.
Boldin continues to give back to Pahokee. Boldin does a ton of charity work, but two he takes particular pride in are the academic services and scholarship opportunities he provides in Florida. Boldin has an annual Q81 Summer Enrichment program developed to support students in Pahokee. The program is eight weeks long, and is designed for students at Everglades Preparatory Academy grades 9-12 who needed courses to catch up academically. You can read more about it HERE.
Additionally, he has the Q81 Scholarship Fund for students in Palm Beach County and the San Francisco Bay Area. The fund provides four $10,000 scholarships to high school graduates who demonstrate financial need, academic excellent, and leadership in the community. Recently, Boldin and his wife announced that they will provide a charitable gift of $1 million to his foundation. This endowment will help dedicate an annual distribution of scholarships to high school graduates.
You can view the first two videos from the Origins series, featuring Denver Broncos safety T.J. Ward (a Bay Area native) and Washington wide receiver Pierre Garcon.