NY Jets Braylon Edwards Pays to Send 100 Kids to College

Sometimes ya just come across awesome things and this is one of them. NY Jets wide receiver Braylon Edwards is an awesome man doing an awesome thing - he is footing the bill to send 100 Cleveland area kids to college.

Apparently some years ago Mr. Edwards made a promise to these kids that if they maintained a 2.5 GPA and committed to doing 15 hours of service to their communities he would send them to college on his dime, and now the time has come to pay the piper and Mr. Edwards is stroking the check.

To do such is no small feat. It is estimated Edwards will spend about $1 million dollars to fulfill his promise to 100 high school students, and being the fine example of a man and an American, he is stepping up, honoring his commitment and doing so at considerable expense to himself.

Of course NFL players are well paid. And stars like Edwards are even more well compensated but $1 million dollars is no small sum, even for him. In committing the $1 million dollars Edwards is awarding a $10,000 scholarship for 100 students who began participating in Edwards' "Advance 100" program when they were in the eighth grade.

Edwards' tweeted his news to the community with "As the 2nd most hated man in Clev. & a man of my word, today I will honor a promise made to 100 students in Cleveland years ago. The last of my Advance 100 students will graduate from my program and head off to college on scholarships that I will provide them with. Guys enjoy & embrace your new beginnings and remember your promise to me, to reach back & help someone else along the way."

Edwards' admonition to students demonstrates his motives and commitment. He made this commitment to eighth graders and today he is showing what an honorable man he is. We need more men like Mr. Edwards', who when given a shot at big time success, remember what it was like to not have so much hope for a successful future. Mr. Edwards' is truly putting his money where his mouth is and for that he will have done far more than his share for the community.

What an exemplary demonstration of honor, commitment and selflessness. May Braylon Edwards' selfless act reap him years of kudos and the ability to watch as surely some of these 100 scholarship awardees use this springboard to life's success and happiness. What a wonderful human interest story and, in his own way, Mr. Edwards' is creating his own "memorial" for us to celebrate this Memorial Day.