“I decided to head it [with a] full head of steam and do every single thing I possibly can to try and touch these kids and reach these kids, because if I can, I can save them from the road I went,” Wilcox said. “I would like to save them. I?d rather be able to [help them] take the smooth route than the bumpy route.”

Wilcox is no stranger to running routes. On the field, he has become an increasingly integral part of the Ravens? offense. Since joining the Ravens two seasons ago, he has caught 45 passes for 373 yards.

But Wilcox did not have an easy path to the NFL. He struggled with distractions in high school, graduating with a 1.9 grade-point average. After becoming a first-team All-Southern Conference receiver at Appalachian State, he arrived in the NFL, only to be cut several times before catching on with the Ravens in 2004.

“I think I canrelate to them a lot,” Wilcox said. “A lot of these inner city kids in Baltimore got it bad. A lot of them don?t graduate. They just don?t see the importance of it. I think in some kind of ways, they lose track.”

Wilcox?s teammates signed hundreds of autographs with him Monday. Many of the children, like 12-year-old Brandon Tucker, went wide-eyed looking at their favorite players. The children, like Wilcox, have had some rough times along their journey.

“I first had to admit I wasn?t doing well in school,” Tucker said. “Then I started the tutoring for about an hour or two each day.”

Wilcox has been a mentor on the field, as well. Fellow tight end Quinn Sypniewski recently said that he leans on the veteran for knowledge.

Wilcox said he sees the world differently through raising his own son.

“I?m thinking, ?Man, this kid can?t be no dummy out here,? ” Wilcox said. “He?s got to be as bright as possible, so I?m looking forward that everything this kid needs, he gets. I?m trying to do the same thing for these kids in the community. I?m trying to get them to think outside the box.”