When the Detroit Lions defeated the Tampa Buccaneers 31-23 on January 21, advancing to play the San Francisco 49ers in the NF Championship game, it looked as if they might make NFL history. The Lions hadn't taken to the field for an NFC game since 1992, and they are one of only four teams that have never made it to the Super Bowl. As the media was abuzz with speculations, no one anticipated the January 28th game with more excitement than Chesapeake City Councilman Don Carey.

Prior to being elected in 2020, Don had been a safety with the Lions for eight seasons, during which the team went to the playoffs three times, losing each time in the wild-card round: to New Orleans in 2011, to Dallas in 2014, and to Seattle in 2016. Over his 10-year professional playing career, Don received numerous awards for accomplishments on the field and in the community. Among these was the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, presented by the Detroit Lions. Don retired from the NFL in 2019 and returned to his native Hampton Roads, settling with his wife, LaKeisha, and their children in quiet Hickory, far from the spotlight he'd been under for a decade. Though Don admits that he will always consider Hampton Roads home, his love for Detroit is undeniable when he recounts his first year playing for the Lions.

"When I got to Detroit, it was 2011, and everyone was still dealing with the impact of the Great Recession," Don recalls. "The only reprieve the citizens had was their love for their team. Because of the passion the people have for the Lions, I know the pulse of the city is electrifying right now."

Don's life reads like the quintessential American success story and could also be described as electrifying. His father, William, a Navy veteran, and his mother, Karen, raised him in a loving home. He recalls his no-nonsense father training him to have a strong work ethic and a keen eye for detail. Don was expected to be an achiever whose contributions improved life for others. Church on Sunday, where he really listened, gave him a depth of humility that belies his success and built a foundation of faith that continues as the central compass of his life.

When he realized he was good at football, he earned his way into a starting position at Norfolk State, and the scouts soon came calling. He graduated with honors while transitioning to life in the NFL. After some typical team trading, he landed in Detroit for a long stint with the Lions.

Arriving in Detroit, Don, still in his twenties, quickly made plans for philanthropic involvement. He began with literacy outreach for adults in Detroit's notoriously difficult economy. When the program yielded positive results and was expanded into the public school system to help at-risk youth, the Don Carey REECH Foundation (Reaching, Educating, and Empowering Children) was born. REECH also hosts annual youth camps to expose children to STEM careers through the excitement of a sports venue. The camps earned rave reviews from parents who saw their children come home with a new interest in math.

As a professional athlete, Don was used to getting results. He brought that expectation and his relentless the-sky's-the-limit attitude to his community service.
 

"In the NFL, you either make the play or notâ€