[sanjosefuji]

I have been a fan of DeSean Jackson since his days at Berkeley. On the field, he's been known for his explosive speed, the ability to make amazing plays, and of course his over the top celebrations. I've also admired the fact that he's been able to accomplish all of this, while being undersized compared to some of his peers in the NFL. But when it came to "off the field" Desean, there was little known... until now.


Did anybody else see this ESPN clip on DeSean Jackson and fourteen year old bullying victim Nadin Khoury earlier today?




Every year, I teach a unit on "bullying" to my students... so naturally I was intrigued by Nadin and his story. On January 11th, 2011, Nadin was victim of a bullying incident that involved seven teenagers, one of which took the time to record the horrific event. The story made national news and on the February 3rd episode of The View, Nadin was invited to share his story, and talk about the "bullying" problem that a percentage of our youth suffer from each and every day.

On the show, Nadin got the opportunity to meet his favorite football player, DeSean Jackson, along with a couple of other Eagles: Jamal Jackson and Todd Herremans. DeSean reiterated to the fourteen year old about how courageous it was for him to "stand up" & take on the bullies, who eventually were arrested for their cruel act. It was nice to read that the bullies spent two months in a juvenile jail, followed by a period of house arrest, and will be on probation for the next five years.


Since then, Nadin Khoury has become a anti-bullying activist and is currently a freshman at Wyncote Academy, a college preparatory school in Pennsylvania.

And what about DeSean Jackson?


Well, before the football season began, he started speaking out against "bullying" across the country. And according to the video, he considers Nadin to be like a little brother to him and he's willing to be there for advice and information.

I raise my glass to Nadin, DeSean, and everyone else who has taken a stand against our country's bullying problem.


Have a great week everyone... and Sayonara!

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