Buffalo Bills’ Leslie Frazier makes surprise donation to Boys & Girls Club, hopes to inspire kids in his hometown of Columbus

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – NFL coach, Mississippi Sports Hall of Famer, and favorite son of Columbus Leslie Frazier continues to give back to his hometown.

Friday, Frazier surprised the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Golden Triangle with yet another generous donation.

“I used to sit down and watch WCBI and see who some of the heroes who were in our area and one day hoped that I could ascend to greater heights,” he said. “I wanted to do well in Columbus but I wanted to go beyond Columbus.”

Now almost a thousand miles from Columbus, the Lee High School alum and Friendly City native is very much beyond the town where he grew up, as he prepares for another season as Defensive Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach for the Buffalo Bills.

And he wants to do his part to help the next generation go beyond Columbus as well. When it comes to the area’s Boys & Girls Club, Frazier knows firsthand how vital their programs can be.

“I was one of those young kids growing up at one point and those programs that are provided by the Boys & Girls Club are some of the programs that kept me from getting in trouble,” he said with a smile.

Frazier’s exploits on the field at Lee High School put him on the path that led to Alcorn State, two Super Bowl rings and an NFL coaching career that has spanned more than 20 years.

But without the programs with the Boys & Girls Club of Columbus, Frazier says he might not have ever found that path.

“It kept me from going down a path that would’ve kept me from becoming the person I am today,” he said.

For Frazier, he says the safe environment and stability of the organization helped him get involved and gravitate towards sports.

“Just being able to come over and shoot a basketball or play around with the guys and other students,” he said.

As part of his mission to giving back, Frazier hopes other kids at the Boys & Girls Club and all over Columbus can look at what he did and believe they can do it too.

“I hope that I’m able to model that your dreams and aspirations can come true, even from little bitty Columbus, Mississippi,” he said. “That you can reach great heights.”

Frazier did not want to say how much he donated but says the Boys & Girls Club can expect more like it in the future.