Jay Thanks for the email and the support. Did ou make a donation to The GPF? Please allow me to share some more info with you regarding the GPF. Have a great rest of the week my friend. By the way I cannot wait for some football as well. Leonard Marshall The Game Plan Foundation - March 10, 2008 Naples News By ADAM FISHER Wednesday, March 5, 2008 While starting his non-profit Game Plan Foundation, which assists retired NFL players, Leonard Marshall made a startling discovery: Despite making millions of dollars in the league, some of the former players, Marshall found, are functionally illiterate. The Game Plan Foundation seeks to provide financial, medical and psychological support to retired players, but Marshall, who played in the NFL for 12 years, has started another organization to try to stop those problems before they start. The Marshall Levenson Literacy Foundation was established to educate underprivileged children to help them become doctors, lawyers, even football players. Wednesday, he brought that message to third-, fourth-, and fifth- graders at Community School, inspiring the students to make something of themselves through their educational opportunities. He even had the chance to wow the children with stories from his playing days with the New York Giants and his two Super Bowl championships. “There’s a disconnect,” said Marshall, 46, who retired after the 1994 season. “Guys go to college to play football … half of them have no education when they leave. Then less than one percent are successful in the NFL. You need to take care of yourself to make sure you can go get a job when you get out of sports.” Marshall’s message was one of motivation. His literacy foundation is aimed at children who don’t have the opportunities that Community School students have to get a good education. Since his audience already is getting an education, Marshall urged the kids to set goals and reach high. “Play the next play,” the former defensive lineman told them. “Every time you try something, even if you fail, don’t be afraid to try again,” Marshall went on. “When an athlete gets beat on a play, he comes back and plays the next play. You’ve got to be able to move forward.” Marshall played 10 seasons for the New York Giants where he won rings in Super Bowls XXI and XXV. He finished his career with 83 1/2 sacks in 177 games, including 15 1/2 in the 1985 season. Upon retiring, Marshall got involved with several charitable organizations. He is a past winner of the United Way Lifetime Achievement Award. Marshall currently is vice president of philanthropic development for Seeman Holtz Financial Group in Boca Raton, and is on the faculty at Seton Hall University as a sports management lecturer. As a co-founder of the Marshall Levenson Literacy Foundation, Karen Schoen said there’s no one better to help inspire and teach children than Marshall. The former pro, who has a bachelor’s degree in finance from Louisiana State University, was pushed by his father to pursue academics before athletics. “I love to work with Leonard because he is absolutely dedicated to education,” Schoen said. “He wouldn’t be where he is today without it.” Marshall’s mission with the Game Plan Foundation is similar to that for the newly-formed Academy for Athletes. The Naples-based organization also provides assistance and education to retired professional athletes in need. Both the academy and Marshall’s foundation are part of a recent NFL initiative to improve the quality of life for former players, particularly those who were out of the league before the era of free agency and multi-million dollar contracts. Marshall is part of an alliance of former players who, along with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Players Association leader Gene Upshaw, are investigating ways to make sure no more retirees end up like Andre Waters. Waters played defensive back in the NFL for a decade. After retiring, Waters was ravaged with physical and mental problems, which eventually led to him committing suicide in late 2006. “We’re trying these guys have a chance to succeed … so their families and themselves can live a positive life,” Marshall said. “We’ve got to come up with a better game plan to help these guys deal with life issues. I’m trying to help them help themselves.”