By Gayle Saunders
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Ray Rice – Ravens - Through four years in the league, Rice has established himself as one of the NFL’s most consistently productive running backs and heads a decent class of free agents at his position. A product of Rutgers in 2008, the small, but versatile ball-carrier has appeared in two Pro-Bowls and been an integral part of Baltimore’s dangerous offense. While it’s hard not to question how many hits a 5-foot-8 back like Rice will be able to take, especially with his up-the-middle running style, there’s been no question the 24-year-old has been the centerpiece of the Ravens in recent years. With three straight years of at least 1,220 yards and five scores on the ground, he’ll likely command a big payday, but figures to be back with the team he began his career with.

Matt Forte -Bears – Typically, when a premier running back prepares to hit the open market, his team works hard to get a long-term deal done ahead of time, but that hasn’t been the case with Forte and the Bears, meaning other NFL clubs could have a shot at landing a top-tier ball-carrier this offseason. He followed up a promising rookie campaign with a forgettable 2009 season that included a yards-per-carry average of just 3.6, but has since developed into one of the league’s top all-around offensive threats. This past season, he fell just three yards short of the 1,000-yard mark and also hauled in 52 passes for nearly 500 yards…in 12 games. At 26, Forte is older than Rice, but remains a potentially elite free agent option.

Marshawn Lynch – Seahawks- Before joining the Seahawks during the 2010 season, Lynch appeared to be on a serious decline, which followed up a promising, yet controversial tenure with Buffalo, but has turned his career around and figures to garner a good deal of interest as a free agent. After two straight 1,000-yard seasons to start his professional career, Lynch fell victim to injuries and quickly fell out of favor with the Bills, especially after being suspended for a violation of the NFL’s personal conduct policy. Since coming to Seattle via trade, however, the 25-year-old Lynch has been nothing short of a bruising highlight reel, powering his way to over 1,700 rushing yards in 26 starts for the Seahawks.

Running Backs
Ray Rice
Matt Forte
Marshawn Lynch
Michael Bush
Peyton Hillis
Cedric Benson
Mike Tolbert
Kevin Smith
Jason Snelling
Justin Forsett
BenJarvus Green-Ellis
Tim Hightower
Steve Slaton
Cadillac Williams
LaDainian Tomlinson
Ronnie Brown
Ryan Grant
Jackie Battle
Sammy Morris
Mewelde Moore
Maurice Morris
Earnest Graham
Chester Taylor
Kevin Faulk
Tashard Choice
Derrick Ward
Thomas Jones
Jerious Norwood
LenDale White
Rock Cartwright

By Steve O’Reilly

Down in Southwest Florida there is a man who everyone knows. He is a man of class, grace and integrity, someone to emulate. A local guy who hasn’t forgotten where he came from who knows how to make a difference in his community. That man is Earnest Graham. Earnest has had such an impact in Ft. Myers, FL that the City dedicated a street after him, Earnest Graham Avenue. The man from Mariner High School in Cape Coral, just outside of Ft. Myers, went on to play college ball at the University of Florida and was later signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003 after being undrafted coming out of college. A Florida guy through and through!

On a higher level!

In 2007, when injuries mounted at the Running Back position, Graham had his time to shine and he didn’t disappoint. He rushed for 898 yards and 10 TD’s in only 13 games. In that stretch, Graham earned a Fantasy Football Hall of Fame jacket for having either ran for 100 yards, scoring a TD, averaging at least four yards a carry, or catching 6-plus passes during those 13 games. He was given the nickname “Dodge Ram” by his teammates for his rugged style of play. In 2008, Graham split carries with Warrick Dunn and also offered to play Fullback to block for Dunn when he wasn’t the ball carrier.

For the good things that Graham has done on the field he has done just as much off of it.  He started the Earnest Graham Charitable Giving Organization (EarnestGiving.Org) that raises funds to support children in their growth and development. Here is the letter that was written by Graham on his website…his words are better than mine.

My vision for Earnest Giving, Inc., is to unquestionably be an organization that is at the forefront of early childhood development. I think that in life we are only as productive as the systems we place ourselves in and for too long people have been passive when it comes to a child’s development. In a world where billions are spent to market to our youth to ultimately develop them into consumers, I think that communities can show no less tenacity than those who are trying to capture young energy into capital gain. “The earlier the better” is what I’ve learned is the key to kids ultimately becoming productive.

I also understand that the youth don’t have many outlets due to the lack of resources and the lack of organization within community. Earnest Giving would like to place the hands of a 10 year old on piano keys rather than a 9-millimeter; Earnest Giving would like to take a young girls mind off of my space and provide her an environment to carve out her space in the World.

I believe that all human beings have an innate drive to succeed; I think that we can provide the keys. I think we can broaden the narrow mind. I would like Earnest Giving, Inc to be visible and by being visible we shall become influential.

 

Sincerely,
Earnest Graham

Our Mission: To be a visible and influential organization mentoring youth development by providing cultural arts and humanities life skills programs, mandated by higher academic standards, thus capturing young energy and the innate drive to succeed while building self-esteem and confidence to empower the youth of our nation for generations to come.

In addition to his fine work in the community helping the children of Southwest Florida, Earnest is an incredibly nice person. Not having had the opportunity to meet him personally, I live in Southwest Florida myself and have spoken to some people that have and they describe how humble, kind and grounded he is.

Take the time to visit EarnestGiving.Org and see all of the goodness that is found in the man who is a tough guy on the field but a true gentleman off of it.

Hat’s off to Earnest Graham!