Former NFL Running Back Terron Ward on Mentorship, Scholarships & the Wardboy Project

<p>Former NFL running back Terron Ward joins The Giving Game to talk about the Wardboy Project, the foundation he co-founded with his brother to support underprivileged youth in the East Bay Area — the pocket of cities east of Oakland including Antioch, Pittsburg, Concord, and Brentwood that Terron and his brother call home.</p><p>Terron breaks down the foundation's three main pillars: DRAW, a mentorship program pairing middle schoolers with dedicated mentors for weekly check-ins, tutoring, and guidance; the TK Scholarship Program, named in memory of Terrence Kelly, a standout De La Salle student-athlete and family friend who was shot and killed in 2004 before he could start college, which now covers private school tuition for kids who couldn't otherwise afford it; and the Bay Area Skills Academy, a free annual football camp that just wrapped its tenth year with roughly 200 kids in attendance. The foundation also recently held its first Student Athlete Summit, a full day of programming with 20 speakers ranging from college coaches to financial experts covering everything a student-athlete needs to know, including NIL.</p><p>The conversation moves into the harder-to-talk-about parts of life after football: the identity crisis that hits when the structure of a 20-year athletic regimen disappears overnight, why confidence-building is one of the most important things a coach or mentor can give a kid, and how coaching philosophy has shifted away from the "screaming coach" model of Terron's father's era. Terron also shares a piece of advice from an unexpected source — a billionaire he met at a bar who told him to stop chasing his dreams and start chasing his talents — and reflects on fatherhood, raising two daughters, and why he believes real growth is never linear.</p><p><b>If Terron's story moved you, you can support the Wardboy Project using the link below.</b></p><h2>What We Cover</h2><ul><li><b>(00:02:19)</b> What the Wardboy Project is, and why Terron and his brother started it</li><li><b>(00:03:44)</b> Inside the DRAW mentorship program for middle schoolers</li><li><b>(00:04:43)</b> The TK Scholarship Program, named for Terrence Kelly</li><li><b>(00:05:37)</b> The Bay Area Skills Academy: 10 years of free football camps</li><li><b>(00:06:08)</b> The foundation's first Student Athlete Summit</li><li><b>(00:09:11)</b> The identity crisis that hits after leaving pro sports</li><li><b>(00:11:28)</b> His father's coaching legacy and the "domino effect" of mentorship</li><li><b>(00:13:52)</b> Why instilling confidence is top of the list for coaching kids</li><li><b>(00:15:12)</b> How coaching philosophy has changed since his father's era</li><li><b>(00:32:03)</b> "Chase your talents, not your dreams": advice from a chance encounter</li><li><b>(00:36:21)</b> Why Terron has always been process-oriented, not just goal-oriented</li><li><b>(00:38:26)</b> Fatherhood and raising two daughters</li><li><b>(01:00:39)</b> Why "they're famous, they can't have money problems" is a myth</li><li><b>(01:04:11)</b> How to support the Wardboy Project without giving money</li><li><b>(01:03:36)</b> Where to donate and follow the Wardboy Project</li></ul><h2>Support the Wardboy Project</h2><p>👉 Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://wardboyproject.org" target="_blank">wardboyproject.org</a> 👉 Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok: @wardboyproject</p><p>Can't give financially? The Wardboy Project is always looking for mentors and event volunteers — or connections to others who might be able to support the mission.</p>