More than 250 Inner-City Scholarship Fund students gathered at the Sheen Center for Thought and Culture for a special performance by Pro Players – The Group, an inspirational choir of former NFL players who perform gospel, soul, and R&B music, on April 14. 

The Inner-City Scholarship Fund organized the private concert to give Archdiocese of New York Catholic school students a chance to experience live performance, and, frankly, to have some fun outside the classroom for an hour or two. Students came from four archdiocesan schools: Incarnation, Our Lady Queen of Angels, St. Elizabeth of Washington Heights, and St. Philip Neri. Following the performance, students had the opportunity to ask the group’s members about their life experiences, both singing and playing football 

The performance featured a lineup of NFL alumni, including Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers, Stephen Pierce of the Cleveland Browns, Olrick Johnson of the New York Jets, Nathan Palmer of the Denver Broncos, KeShun Freeman of the New Orleans Saints, and Bryan Scott of the Buffalo Bills. The group is led by vocal coach and conductor Demarcus Williams. All members of the group are Christians. 

A rendition of “Lean on Me” was part of the groups four-song set, and the students were an enthusiastic audience throughout, clapping, singing along, and cheering from their seats before rising to their feet for the final medley. 

Honoring a commitment to faith and Catholic education 

“Kids have another level of energy that sometimes, as adults, we can be reserved about. But kids, they come with it. And in that sense, we have to step our game up, because we’re older and we have to show them that we’ve still got it,” said former New Orleans Saint Freeman. 

One student clearly enjoyed herself. “I don’t think any kids really like school, but I do like being with my friends, so getting to go on the field trip, riding the bus, that was really fun. And we just got back from spring break, so it was a nice way to ease back in before testing next week,” said Judah Nuno, an eighth grader at Our Lady Queen of Angels in East Harlem. 

The event also included a special award presentation honoring Lynn Mara, a board member of the Sheen Center, and Frank Mara, senior vice president of community relations for the New York Giants. The award recognized their commitment to expressing faith through the arts and their steadfast support for Catholic education. 

“The closer you come to God, the more you want to be around that, and proclaim it, and live it. I think it’s natural. It just comes,” said Lynn Mara. 

Frank Mara reflected on his own Catholic education as the foundation of that commitment. “I’m one of 11 siblings. All 11 of us had 16 years of Catholic education, so we know how important it is,” he said. 

The Inner-City Scholarship Fund provides families with demonstrated financial need the opportunity to give their children a quality, values-based K-12 Catholic education within the Archdiocese of New York. Monday’s event is one example of the fund’s programming that regularly delivers enriching opportunities for students outside the classroom.