After five successful years with the LA Rams, Troy is returning home to Ohio as the newest cornerback for the Cleveland Browns. Troy grew up just an hour away from the city in Youngstown, Ohio before moving out to LA to play football at Ventura High School.
Troy is coming home ready to make an impact to the Browns’ defense and also create sustainable change within the Ohio community. “I know this town and the struggles they face on a daily basis because I experienced the same systemic challenges. I want to put resources and opportunities back into the community I love so that every child and their family have the opportunity to be something.” Says Troy.
Black, Indigenous, and people of color live in poverty at higher rates than their white counterparts and in Youngstown, 45.6 percent of black residents live in poverty. This means that, on average, BIPOC residents and children receive lower-quality education and healthcare. The long-term ramification of this is that BIPOC youth have fewer opportunities to attend college, pursue careers of their choice, and are more likely to live in poverty as adults.
Through Star Players Academy, Troy aims to tackle institutional barriers by working with key stakeholders to put resources back into the town that raised him.