McKeesport area students, mayor attend NFL draft panel
The football team members got to participate in a panel discussion with billionaire Mt. Lebanon native Mark Cuban.
Members of the McKeesport Area School High School Tigers football team joined McKeesport Mayor Thomas Maglicco to attend NFL Draft events on Wednesday, where they had the opportunity to meet current football players and other industry leaders.
Shown, from left, are Abraham Miller, Joseph Sebelia, Jeremiah Leftcowitz, McKeesport Mayor Thomas Maglicco, Javien Robinson, Mekhi Daniels, and Jordan Stuvaints. City of McKeesport Mayor’s Office
Around six football players from McKeesport Area High School, along with Maglicco and Special Projects Coordinator/ Recreation Director Troy Blackwell, went to Pittsburgh’s North Side Wednesday morning for a special panel that was hosted ahead of the NFL Draft.
Maglicco told the Mon Valley Independent that Blackwell and former Pittsburgh Steeler and McKeesport native Russell Stuvaints Jr. were instrumental arranging for them to attend Wednesday’s event. Maglicco and the students attended a panel discussion organized by UBS Financial, which featured Mark Cuban, a Mt. Lebanon native and owner of the Dallas Mavericks.
According to Maglicco, the panel focused on topics such as how student-athletes can capitalize on their own image for their future in sports.
“It was a really good experience. I’m grateful for the opportunity presented to me by Troy and Russell to listen in on that perspective of student athletes, what they go through and the challenges they may face,” Maglicco said. “I found it really interesting and creative. Makes me at ease that there are people that are lobbying for these student athletes to make sure that their experiences are not taken advantage of.”
Blackwell, who is also the defensive coordinator for the McKeesport Area High School football team, said that the panel was a great opportunity for the young football players to learn from sports industry experts.
“Of course, they were a little starstruck,” Blackwell said. “Obviously, they know who Mark Cuban is because of ‘Shark Tank’ and his ownership of an NBA team. So they were familiar with him and some of his comments and things he gave, I can tell, like it held some weight with them, and they held on to it because they realized that he is obviously successful.”
Blackwell emphasized that it’s especially important for young athletes to learn new things.
“It’s great because we’re in an ever-changing world, so I feel like, especially the youth, the young men, or young ladies, anytime you get them information about what’s going on in the world, it helps expand your mind, and it gives them a focal point, and also gives them things to shoot for,” he added. “Every time you can expose them to something that they might not have been exposed to before. It puts them in a better headspace and they’re better equipped.”
Blackwell mentioned that some students at the panel were soon to be high school seniors, which helped them when considering their careers after high school.
Stuvaints said he is always happy to help his community, especially as a McKeesport native. He said one of his family members who works for UBS Financial also helped coordinate the event.
“I was looking forward to meeting Mark Cuban,” Stuvaints said. “I’m so grateful all the kids got to meet him and got to hear his jokes and hear his detailed plans as far as business, and trying to get an understanding on business and confidence from him to start your own business and be an entrepreneur and things like that.
“I’m grateful to be able to lend a hand and spread information and spread love to the community, and to the kids. That’s just a natural part of my life that I do every day.”
