By Perry A. Farrell SMSB Editor-in-Chief   Melik Williams is an academic star at Ypsilanti Lincoln High School and his talents on the football field are quickly catching up. He’s entering the end of his first year at Sound Mind Sound Body and his exploits in the classroom have been eye-opening. Williams scored 1,230 while taking…

  By Perry A. Farrell SMSB Editor in Chief   Lorenzo Vitti said he’s the best athlete in his family. He may have to prove it. The two-year Sound Mind Sound Body veteran comes from an athletic family. His mother, Rachel, played collegiate soccer at Wake Forest. His father, Nikolia, played football at Wake Forest. “I have…

  By Perry A. Farrell SMSB Editor-in-Chief   Sunday’s have been a travel day for Jaris McIntosh Jr., and his father, Jaris McIntosh Sr. They’d make the two-hour trek from Battle Creek, where young Jaris stars for Battle Creek Lakeview High School, to the eastside of Detroit to attend Sound Mind Sound Body camps. “It was special,…

  By Perry A. Farrell SMSB Editor in Chief   It’s rare that a Cass Tech High School athlete flies under the radar, but that’s the case with junior wide receiver Jameel Gardner. The 6-foot, 170-pounder didn’t start playing football at CT until his sophomore year. “Coach (Thomas) Wilcher saw me at school, working out, and he…

  By Perry A. Farrell Sound Mind Sound Body Editor in Chief   Jacob Oden has been around football his entire life. When he goes home not only does he have to deal with his father, Rod Oden, but also his Harper Woods football coach, who is also Rod Oden. “No, I never let up on him,’’…

  By Perry A. Farrell SMSB Editor-in-Chief   Jakobe Watkins knew something was wrong. In March of 2019, after completing a season at Belleville High School where he was named All-Conference and made some All-State teams as a freshman offensive lineman, he felt something uncomfortable in his left knee. “I was at the Nike Opening in Akron,’’…

  By Perry A. Farrell SMSB Editor-in-Chief   Bobby Simes Jr. had to tell Deone Walker Jr., it was okay to hit his little league football opponents. “He was always the biggest kid on the team,’’ said Simes, Walker’s Detroit Giants youth league coach. “He was a gentle giant. He didn’t want to hurt anybody. He…

` By Perry A. Farrell SMSB Editor-in-Chief   Cornell Perry was entering his junior season at Woodhaven High School with no college football offers. The 6-foot, 170-pound safety heard about the benefits of being part of the Sound Mind Sound Body program and thought three weeks ago was the right time. “My dad (Ryann Perry) knew a…

  By Perry A. Farrell SMSB Editor-in-Chief The trek from Gibraltar to the Sound Mind Sound Body Campus on Detroit's eastside hasn't been an issue for Cody Britt. "My mom (Kim) and I were looking for a place for me to go camping,'' he said. "We had heard about Sound Mind Sound Body, so we decided…

    By Perry A. Farrell SMSB Editor-in-Chief   Cephus Harris recalled a session at Sound Mind Sound Body where the receiver’s coach, Javid James-Beon, was giving him an earful. “There was something I was doing wrong, and he kept yelling at me,’’ said the Mount Clemens Chippewa Valley junior running back. “He was really tough on people,…

  By Perry A. Farrell Editor in Chief SMSB While concentrating on the Bloomfield Hills football playoff game against Mason, Xavier Bowman, a class of 2024 wide receiver, expected his recruiting list to grow over the winter. The Sound Mind Sound Body veteran has been in the program for three years. Currently, Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan are…