Today we’d like to introduce you to Cedric Thompson
Hi Cedric, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born and raised in inner-city Los Angeles before moving to a small destitute town called Bombay Beach. My high school journey was documented in the award-winning film, Bombay Beach, which captured the essence of my journey and the challenges I overcame to become the first person in my family to graduate high school.
My talents on the high school football field caught the attention of scouts, earning me a full-ride scholarship to the University of Minnesota. In 2015, I was drafted by the Miami Dolphins, marking the beginning of my professional football career. Over the years, I showcased my skills with various teams, including the New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings, and Cincinnati Bengals.
However, my journey didn’t end with my retirement from professional football. I transitioned seamlessly into a new role as a content creator and speaker, leveraging my experiences to inspire and empower others. With a social media audience surpassing 1 million people, I share invaluable life lessons, teaching people how to navigate the complexities of life and become better fathers, partners, and humans.
I believe that high school football was a major part of teaching me skills that helped me be the person I am later in life and wanted to find a way to give high school athletes that same opportunity. As a result, I started Cover2, a free, high quality football training program that teaches high school football players skills for both on and off the field. We train 3 times a week but also have additional sessions that focus on life skills and character development. By funding the program through donations, I am able to provide this training to players from various socioeconomic situations.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No, growing up in Los Angeles I was surrounded by gang violence and drugs. My childhood included a broken home and poverty.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
While professional football is a major part of my life, my work in my adult life has mainly been as a content creator and speaker, leveraging my experiences to inspire and empower others. While I’ve very appreciative of my audience and being able to provide my followers with life advice and guidance, I’m most proud of Cover2 and the impact I am able to make on these high school athletes. High school is a very transformative time in an individual’s life and I want to set them for success both in college and their adult lives with skills like leadership, discipline and accountability. Being able to make them better football players and even better people is really rewarding.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
What I love about this city is how everything is in a small and convenient radius. Growing up in LA, everything was far a part and if you wanted to drive somewhere, it could take 15 minutes or an hour. I love that I can get to anywhere I need to go in a short amount of time here.
What I like the least about Minneapolis, is more just about Minnesota as a whole. It’s cold! I don’t enjoy the cold.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cover2.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cover2
