NFL Brothers Seek to Empower Pomona Youth
Originally published in the Inland Valley News
Hamza Abdullah (left) and Husain Abdullah (right)
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The Pomona Sheraton was buzzing the evening of Friday, June 10th, with supporters of National Football League (NFL) players Hamza and Husain Abdullah, two brothers on a mission to bring positivity back to their hometown of Pomona.
Though they have both achieved success within the NFL—Hamza with the Arizona Cardinals and Husain with the Minnesota Vikings—the pair choose to put empowering youth at the forefront of their agenda.
The event at the Sheraton Hotel was an appreciation dinner to thank sponsors who chose to lend both money and resources to aid the Hamza and Husain Abdullah First Annual Rising Stars Youth Football Camp. It is a free football camp put on by the Abdullah brothers to help youth in the City of Pomona solidify football skills while encouraging sportsmanship, teamwork, and self-esteem. For these brothers, being able to give back to their city stands as their most important task.
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“The event is just about giving back, uplifting the youth in the city of Pomona, something that we wish would have been done for us when we were younger,” said Husain Abdullah.
Desmond Maxwell, a childhood friend of Husain, recalls thoughts during high school football days of them both giving back to the community once they reached a certain level of success.
(from left) Husain Abdullah and Hamza Abdullah
“[Husain] was fortunate enough to make it to the NFL and he's fulfilling our plan that we made in high school. We wanted to come back and give to the City of Pomona because it has a lot of talent,” said Maxwell.
The Abdullah brothers, both graduates of Pomona High School, understand that with success comes the power to inspire communities such as their hometown of Pomona.
“It's not [about] us, it's about the community. We're not here to get patted on the back...the real impact is with these children...aspiring to be great,” Said Hamza Abdullah.
Zhavon Abdullah, Husain's wife, believes that this football camp allows people to chase their dreams. She believes it is important that the youth who participate in the camp understand that regardless of one's profession, it is still possible and important to positively impact people in ways that inspire them to be productive in society.
“It just helps young youth realize that they can reach their dreams and know that there are older people out there who want to help them. Just because they're in the NFL or entertainers or whatever you want to say...they're still wanting to give back to their community,” said Zhavon Abdullah.
C.J. Laboy, Senior associate at Octagon sports agency and agent to the Abdullah Brothers, also believes that this type of camp is important to bring people who have achieved success back to the city that raised them.
“No matter where you're from or what neighborhood you live in, it's always good for the heroes...of the community to come back and...instill the same characteristics and personality traits that they have and that they learned throughout their years into the youth,” said Laboy.
Though it is not often that you hear about NFL players willing to give back to their communities, it comes as no surprise that Hamza and Husain are an exception. Coming from a strong family of twelve brothers and sisters, the Abdullah brothers were raised to look out not only for themselves, but also the people that surround them.
While speaking of the way in which they were raised raised, Hamza explained that they learned from their parents “to want for your brother what you want for yourself, and that's what we want for these youth.”
The Rising Stars Football Camp also brings another benefit to the city of Pomona: positivity. Abbas Abdullah, brother to Hamza and Husain, says a camp such as this offers kids a different and more productive way to spend their time in a city in which gang violence is prevalent.
“My mother moved us [to Pomona] from Los Angeles. Realistically, this is the same type of environment with the gang activity and different things like that. However, to see somebody from pomona such as my brothers...who have graduated from pomona high and achieve a level of success would be like: hey, if that person did it, I can do it; and I don't have to go the other different avenues.”
Abbas Abdullah also believes that this camp will bring youth together to emphasize cohesiveness and being a team player, which in turn blends kids from all walks of life.
“You can see people working together...and to be able to come together and see the boys and the girls and different religions and everyone just coming out and having a peaceful time in a peaceful environment,” said Abbas Abdullah, who participated in the camp by assisting with coaching and taking pictures.
The Abdullah Brothers are on the receiving end of a long line of support by people who they have known for years and are connected with in the Pomona community.
Lenard Hudson, who coached Hamza and Husain in high school, lent his time to help put the camp together.
“I always told [them] whenever you need anything, call me up and...I'm always there,” said Hudson.
Stephanie Benjamin of the Pomona Valley Workshop, a non-profit agency that seeks to employ adults with disabilities, also gave a helping hand with this event and is proud of what positive things the youth can gain from attending.
“It can show the boys and girls that this is to bring up their self-esteem. To show them that anyone can do it, the sky's the limit!” said Benjamin.
Candace Barry, President of the Pomona Pop Warner League, was also eager to offer support to the Abdullah Brothers' football camp by donating footballs.
“Anytime that Pomona Pop Warner can participate in anything in the community, we help out. That's something that we believe in and that's something we're teaching our young people...to give back to the community...and I'm so happy that the brothers are,” Barry said.
The idea of the football camp hits home for Frank Garcia, executive director of the Pomona Chamber of Commerce because his kids are familiar with the Abdullah brothers and their community involvement.
“My kids know who they are and they love their work and to find that they're here in Pomona trying to give back to the community...trying to help...out of the goodness of their heart...I'm extremely excited about this,” said Garcia.
The Hamza and Husain Abdullah Rising Stars Youth Football Camp that took place at Veterans Soccer Complex in Pomona on June 11th served two-hundred kids ages 10-18 and hopes to continue to empower youth in Pomona for many years to come.
