George Pickett III was always one of the smaller players on his youth football teams. But in his first year with the junior varsity football squad at Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia this past fall, he quickly realized he needed to bulk up.
A workout program designed by a Philadelphia Eagles player should help.
On a Tuesday evening in December, Pickett connected with Eagles punter Braden Mann through the KB Foundation – a non-profit organization that empowers youth in the city through mentorship.
“I’ve always had a good technique and I’ve always been aggressive. So that’s what made me be able to stay on par, I guess,” Pickett told USA TODAY Sports. “But then I got to high school, I realized it was a different ballgame. Everyone was much bigger and much stronger.”
Mann, who studied sports kinesiology at Texas A&M, wants to be a strength and conditioning coach when his playing career is over. When KB Foundation vice president of operations Justin Fishman approached Mann about helping Pickett, “I was like, ‘This is right up my alley,’” Mann told USA TODAY Sports.
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He showed up to Pickett’s uncle’s house in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, with a packet of exercises Pickett can do around the house without equipment.
“I always remember in high school, if I didn’t have a gym or anything, I would find stuff around the house to use,” Mann said. “So for him, it’s kind of just one of those things. You give him the right tools and he can do it for the rest of his high school career if he needs to, if the access to a weight room or whatever isn’t the best.”
Mann ordered resistance bands and became creative with the exercises. There are workouts for both upper-body and lower-body. He emphasized explosiveness and other plyometric movements.
“I thought it was a lot of fun, and Justin told me that George really wanted to put in as much work as he could, which I thought was awesome. (He) just needed a few things,” Mann said. “So I was happy to do that and happy to give him the information. I think the information part is going to be the best part for him because he can use that and carry it on. Even if he doesn’t have bands, he can carry on some of the information with him for the rest of high school and hopefully be able to do what he wants in football.”
Pickett plays running back and linebacker and wants to play in college and beyond. The joint practices with the varsity team over the summer made him realize he wouldn’t “make it this weak.” In his first game of the season, he took a handoff, and the ensuing tackle left him gasping for air; he had to spend the rest of the game on the bench.
That prompted him to send a text to Fishman asking for help, and Fishman leveraged his connection with the Eagles. Quarterback Jalen Hurts is a mentor in the network and his foundation supports KB, while soon-to-be-retired Brandon Graham is also a mentor. Their involvement is how Mann heard about KB in the first place.
Mann printed out the exercises and all of the text looked unappealing to him. He knew what all of the words meant. Would a 14-year-old with limited workout experience? Mann came up with a solution.
“I was like, ‘What’s the best way to be able to help somebody else visualize it?’ And I was like, ‘Well, pictures always help me,’” Mann said.
The Ray Guy Award winner – awarded to the top collegiate punter – in 2018 borrowed a few photo demonstrations online and orchestrated a few through his own poses.
“I’m sure I looked a little dumb in some of the pictures, but it was good to get him at least some sort of a visual of what it looks like,” said Mann, who was selected by the New York Jets in the sixth round of the 2020 draft and spent the first three seasons of his career with the team before signing with Philadelphia ahead of the 2023 campaign. “I told him if there’s any questions to hit up Justin and hit up me and I can try to help explain a little bit more, but hopefully the pictures help.”
Eagles punter Braden Mann ‘a natural’ mentor
Pickett’s mother, TaNisha Graham, said she has taught her son to be a productive member of society. But as a single mother, she wasn’t confident she could teach him to be a man. That’s why the KB Foundation has had a significant impact on their lives.
“Just for KB to give him that experience, it has helped me out because – it’s just, oh my God, it is overwhelming to be able to – I worry about George and they always, whatever I say I’m struggling with, whether I want George to go to a great school (or whatever), they are the motivators and the mentors behind making sure he stays on the right path,” Graham told USA TODAY Sports.
By showing up and giving Pickett something he can carry with him for life, Mann has supplied something more than just words.
“The kids, I don’t know if they’re too young, but typically they’re not going to remember (what someone says),” Fishman told USA TODAY Sports. “But they are going to remember when someone actually took an interest in them and got them to speak up about what they’re interested in.”
And on top of her gratitude for the KB Foundation, Graham is equally indebted to Mann, she said.
“Just the fact that (Mann) wants a progress report lets me know that he really cares about the kids,” Graham said.
Mann, who averaged 48.8 yards per punt this season (12th in the NFL), is a natural mentor, Fishman said. During the first week of January, he met up with George and other mentees at an event hosted by Stadium Custom Kicks where the kids designed cleats. In both of their meetings, he engaged with Pickett by asking questions.
“He’s not saying, ‘Hey, listen, I’m an Eagles football player, and here’s how I got here and here’s what I think you should do,’” Fishman said.
Like the other mentors in the network – which include chefs, lawyers and entrepreneurs across Philadelphia – Mann lets his actions lead the way.
Pickett has been using Mann’s program every day. Already, Fishman said, Pickett looks noticeably stronger. There are veins in his arm and, perhaps most importantly, he’s sleeping better at night.
Mann also imparted that none of the working out matters if Pickett doesn’t take care of his grades. He said will try to get to a Roman Catholic game next fall. He didn’t know his future would be in mentoring and knows that being a role model looks different for everybody.
“I’ve just always been able to connect people through sports, so that’s kind of been my pathway, but not necessarily always about sports,” Mann said. “It’s kind of just about things that are bigger than sports and about real life stuff.
“I’m happy to finally be a mentor and be able to make a positive impact however I can.”