Annette John-Hall: How Mr. Big got that way

By Annette John-Hall

Inquirer Columnist

If you want to truly understand the power of male mentorship, all you have to do is listen to Jason Avant talk about his life.

Yes, that Jason Avant, who is quickly making everybody forget about Fourth Down Freddie Mitchell, and his 'frohawk.

The Eagles' young clutch receiver is on the verge of the biggest game of his career, but he'll be the first to tell you that true happiness is not a third-down catch.

Avant has faced down bigger obstacles than the Giant ones he'll see Sunday.

Avant's story is probably like those of many of the 700 boys on the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Southeastern Pennsylvania's waiting list, except for one big difference: He was fortunate enough to have male role models who saved him.

In sixth grade, he joined a gang and sold drugs. By seventh grade, he also was drinking and smoking.

The way his life was going, chances are he'd still be selling on the mean streets of Chicago. Or locked up. Or, worse, dead.

Instead, Avant, 25, is a college graduate and husband to Rashida. Together, they are raising Avant's 15-year-old cousin, Rushon Avant, who lives with them in South Jersey.

"He grew up in the same area as I did, so I'm trying to show him," he says.

Which is Avant's way of returning the blessings God gave him.

And what led him to become active in the Big Brothers Eagles Bigs campaign, an initiative between Big Brothers and the Eagles to recruit more male mentors for young boys.

He doesn't take for granted the power of something as simple as a consistent male presence.

Spiraling life

The Chicago native grew up parentless: dad in jail, mom not around. His grandmother tried, but the only lessons Avant took to heart were from his father's mistakes.

"My life began to spiral," he says.

It took Willie Simpson, his football coach at George Washington Carver High School, to help set Avant straight.

"He wrapped his arms around me," Avant recalls. "He told me that if I continued to play football, he'd make sure I got a scholarship.

"He gave me a little bit of hope. I needed a man to speak it. . . . I believed him."

Sure enough, Avant won a full athletic scholarship to the University of Michigan. "But my life still wasn't good. I still had the mindset of doing bad things."

He started going to the True Worship church in Detroit with his roommate. There, he met another godsend, the Rev. Lovell Cannon Jr.

Avant was intrigued. Cannon, he says, "was the first man I ever saw who was faithful. He always talked about taking care of your responsibilities. I'm thinking to myself, 'There's got to be some fault somewhere.'

"Long story short: I couldn't find any contradiction."

Male influence

Cannon opened his home to Avant, and helped him solidify his faith. "My grandmother would take me to church and pray for me," Avant recalls, "but I never wanted to submit myself [to God] until I saw a man doing it."

Predictably, 80 percent of the boys on the Big Brothers waiting list are African American. That doesn't surprise Avant.

"If you don't have a man in your home, how is someone going to show a kid how to be responsible?" he asks.

It's a vicious cycle, but one that Avant has broken.

Anyone else?