08 - Gerald Cadogen - It's How You Play The Game

Six Degrees of Segregation

Today my guest is Gerald Cadogan. Gerald was a HS football phenom from PM, OH who went on to letter and start at Penn State under Joe Paterno. In 2008, he was a candidate for college football's prestigious Draddy Trophy, presented annually to the nation's top college football student-athlete.

During his senior season he was named a consensus first team All-Big Ten selection and was awarded the conference's Sportsmanship Award and named an Academic All-American for a second time.

After much success in college including Orange, Rose, Outback and Alamo bowl appearances, he was invited to the NFL Scouting Combine where his split time in the 40 ranked him fifth among offensive linemen at the combine. This began his professional football career, where he was signed to the Cincinnati Bengals’, Carolina Panthers’, Indianapolis Colts’, Philadelphia Eagles’, and San Diego (now Los Angeles) Chargers’ practice squads before finishing his football career in the Canadian Football League with the Calgary Stampeders and the Toronto Argonauts, whom Cadogan won a Grey Cup with in 2012.

Besides all these athletic accolades, Gerald is kind. He is generous. He is motivated to make a positive impact on the world. As such, coming full-circle, Gerald has returned to Portsmouth and is a teacher and coach in the halls he once walked as a student. He’s also very much involved in his community.

“I wanted to come back to Portsmouth to make an impact on the community in a positive way,” Cadogan said. “That’s why I came back and have stayed. I want to empower the next generation to continue to grow this community in all facets.”

Cadogan has also held a youth sports camp in Portsmouth, bringing his former college teammates as well as current NFL players to be guest coaches, as part of his involvement in the community. He feels that “It is important to stay involved and help other young people realize their potential and achieve their goals.”

And instructs them “Take advantage of every opportunity to help someone else, because that someone in need one day could be you.”

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