Rashaun Sligh: His Mission From Football and Beyond
15 June 2017 Eagles News
If you have driven passed the NovaCare Complex in the last couple of weeks, you may notice a man with a life-size sign which reads, “Rashaun Sligh just wants an opportunity to be an EAGLE!”.
Rashaun Sligh, is a 24 year old wide receiver/quarterback just looking for his shot at following his NFL dream. Rashaun did not have his chance to play college football at Temple University due to NCAA transfer rules, but he refuses to give up. When I asked Rashaun what made him chase this dream, he told me that he was visiting his friend Myles Scarfield up in Connecticut and it was in the back of his mind to try to get back to football, but he did not know how. A man approached Sligh on the train and said “God told me you are going to play in the NFL”. Once, Rashaun came back to Philadelphia he knew what he was going to do. “I came to the NovaCare complex, knew my situation was different. I don’t have film. I don’t have an agent. I knew I had to stand out in some way.” Since he has started his daily quest for the opportunity, Sligh has been visited by several Eagles players including Fletcher Cox and Zach Ertz. Sigh was also visited by Eagles’ wide receiver coach, Mike Groh. Just yesterday, Philadelphia’s own walk-on Eagle, Vince Papale paid Sligh a visit and even offered to go to Chickies and Petes with him for a quick bite. Sligh declined because he does not want to miss this chance.
You may think this is just another story of a man trying to make a football team but it’s much deeper than that. Sligh has a mission. After graudating from Temple, Sligh started his own business to train athletes. The business “Invigorate Us” started as a personal training aspect.
“I figured out what I wanted to do for society. I wanted to help people with their mind. I want to help the world in smaller ways. I enjoy working with youth groups, football teams, and people who just want to better themselves. I travel from here in Philadelphia all the way up to Connecticut. . . The mission outside of football is why I do this. Some do it for the monetary value in football. My mission is beyond myself and beyond football. I am on this life mission to bring light and awareness to dream chasing and going after what you desire in your heart by life’s adversity”.
I asked Sligh what kind of player/person would Philadelphia be getting by bringing in Rashaun Sligh.
“Somebody with intensity at the wide receiver position. I would compare my playing style to Anquon Boldin. I can make the tough catches. I have consistent hands (hello Philadelphia!). I have never been a speed demon but I know how to create separation. I am and have been a student of the game. My work ethic, my training, and the things I do outside of the sport. I can be a fit in this city.”
Sligh has been doing his own training as he has no agent or film. He had internships while at Temple in regard to personal training. He does what he likes to call “village training” or “Rocky workouts”. Sligh trains for about 6-7 hours a day and then gets himself to the NovaCare complex and trains for another 6-7 hours.
After having the discussion with Sligh about his journey and his goals, I decided to shift the focus to a less serious topic. I asked Rashaun who his favorite player in Eagles history is.
“Donovan Mcnabb. I grew up a huge McNabb fan. I was upset with how he left. I don’t think he got enough credit. 4th and 26, the NFC Championship game in Atlanta, the string of deep playoff runs that he had” Sligh tried to reach out to McNabb as he started his journey but “I have not heard back from him at this point”.
Could Rashaun Sligh be the diamond in the rough and the player/role model for young kids to follow? As he’s stated, his goal is to inspire others to chase their dreams. His attitude and work ethic are exactly what this city clings to with its athletes. This young man is the definition of Temple Tough. You can follow Rashaun’s journey on Instagram or Twitter: @RSligh02
As this article was being published, Sligh received a visit from the Philadelphia Soul. The current World Champions of the Arena Football League have offered Sligh a try-out scheduled for 06/15/2017.
Levaughn Nelson Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia Soul, Rashaun Sligh, Temple Tough, Temple University