Jacqueline Lynch | March 3, 2013
His alarm rings at 6:30 every morning. Tuesday, his off day, is no exception. Cameron Jordan of the New Orleans Saints is up and ready to get the day started on the days most of his teammates enjoy the couple extra hours of sleep they are allowed.
Jordan hops in his car, heads to the New Orleans Saints facilities to meet up with the team events coordinator. They exchange warm hellos and Jordan excitedly asks where they are off to this morning. This morning it is New Sarpy Elementary School, a school about 30 minutes outside of New Orleans’ historic French Quarter.
As Jordan enters the auditorium at New Sarpy, a couple hundred elementary school children, who have clearly been anticipating this day, greet him. Many have replaced their usual uniform shirts with Saints jerseys, T-shirts and sweatshirts for the occasion. Instead of immediately taking to the lectern at the front of the large auditorium, he runs though the aisles with his hands down low, getting high fives from as many of the kids as he can.
Jordan then makes his way to the front, and begins to do what he loves. The 6-foot-4, 287-pound defensive end towers over the students at the assembly, but it is his personality that fills the room.
He talks to the kids about the importance of hard work and staying focused on their studies, listens to the chants they have created for him and simply just has a great time. Jordan cracks jokes and tells stories to get the students laughing; all the while he is imparting valuable knowledge. It comes naturally for him; he seems at home doing this. He has an energy about him that is both wise and playful at the same time, and he easily connects with the kids.
After the assembly is over and pictures have been snapped, Jordan and the events coordinator part ways, not before he exclaims, “This was a great one, can’t wait to do it next week!” Then he is on his way back to the team facilities to break down film of the Saints’ upcoming opponent.
Coming off his second year with the New Orleans Saints, Cameron Jordan made it clear that the team made a good choice in picking him in the first round in 2011 out of Berkeley. This 2012 season was a busy one for him as he played 91 percent of the defensive snaps, and racked up eight sacks. His play solidified his status as a key to the rebuilding Saints defense. Jordan’s season stats and improvement are not what chooses to talk about first, though. During a tough season following the bounty scandal and resignation of defense coordinator, Greg Williams, Jordan proved himself a key piece to the rebuilding Saints defense.
While his break through season was surely impressive, Cameron Jordan sees another side of his as most important. Jordan values the importance of giving back because he has been living it all his life, having watched his father Steve Jordan, a six-time Pro Bowl player with the Minnesota Viking for 12 seasons, give back. Jordan says, “I used to watch my dad do the same thing. Growing up I was familiar with doing service for others and being able to see how the impact of a good adult role model can make on a kids life.”
Jordan spends his time talking about a game of touch football a few days ago with a group of children at a kids camp, rather than his sacks. The enthusiasm he had for this event was not unique. Rather, it is this passion, which drives him to spend most of his off days during the season, and many days in the off-season talking, interacting, and playing with children and young adults.
“It’s not that I want to do it, I need to do it,” he said initially about his work with children. It is this apparent passion that leads him to spend his off days talking at schools in the New Orleans area.
Jordan’s morning at New Sarpy Elementary is a perfect example of that passion he has for working with children. He explained this routine, “I like to wake up early talk to kids; Tuesday mornings are just me the team’s event coordinator and anywhere from a classroom full of kids to an auditorium full.” Though not officially a part of his job description, he takes these mornings very seriously.
Takes it seriously and is proud of what he does; as pictures from the various events he attends plaster his twitter timeline show. From classroom visits to large auditoriums full of screaming little ones, you name and Jordan proudly documents his weekly interactions with the kids.
Jordan is not the only one keeping track of his service. Mid-season he was recognized as the Saints Community Player of the Week.
But it is some of the work that goes undocumented that means the most to him, “It’s all about the events you don’t get recognized that may have the most personal influence. The one-on-one talks, the small classroom visits, the sit-downs at hospitals talking to kids that have a possible terminal illness. Its one thing to do community service and another thing to personalize the service and make it a personal interest.”
Jordan’s service definitely is personal to him, and these smaller events have a big impact on him as well as the people he is connecting with.
Jordan understands that everybody isn’t as lucky as he was to have positive role models, so he strives to be that, even just in a small way, for youngsters. He adds, “I was blessed to have my father and other great athletes around and even more so blessed to be in a similar situation to be able to talk and interact with our future generations who will hopefully turn around and do what I’ve done for the next generation.” He knows first-hand the ways an influential role model can impact a child’s life, and is working to keep the positive cycle going.
The cycle takes many forms, too. Jordan points out that he learns from his teammates, as well. In the off-season, he has been able to participate in activities put on by his teammates’ foundations. He explains how he has been inspired, “as I’m training in the off-season I’ll participate in all my teammates kids camps, and I’ve been contemplating starting my own little day camp especially now that my I’m becoming a veteran in the NFL.” Seeing his teammates host camps has further opened his eyes to the ways in which he can inspire young people.
Coming from University of California at Berkeley, Jordan stresses the importance of education, as he knows the doors it can open. He has an immense amount of Golden Bear pride, and makes sure to spend time giving back to his former team, “I come back to the greatest public university I know, The University of California at Berkeley, and I talk to the team.” His playful nature is apparent whenever he talks about Berkeley, as he lightheartedly makes references to Cal being ranked the top public school in the nation. More seriously though, he realizes the impact he can have talking to guys who want to follow in his footsteps.
“It gives kids extra dreams,” he explains, understanding the power of his work. He continues, “Lets them know, no matter what life they are coming from, they don’t have to stay there, that there’s always an alternate route to better themselves as a student, as an athlete, and as an individual.” Improvement is a key message in all of the service work he does, and Jordan hopes he can inspire others to strive to better themselves.
The children at New Sarpy Elementary were surely able to dream a little bigger after seeing Cameron Jordan living out his.