Troy Smith returns home to try and change lives and futures

CLEVELAND -- Behind heavily secured walls and fences at the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Center sat ninety young men and boys.

Some of them marked with bracelets, others marked with tattoos. None of them want to be there. Except one.

The one man who chose to be there, also made a conscious choice to make something with his life. He chose to be a Heisman Trophy winning athlete and NFL quarterback.

Troy Smith spent his bye-week from the Baltimore Ravens here in his hometown of Cleveland, talking with groups of kids in schools, and a group of locked-up juveniles. "I am no different from you,? Smith told them. ?No different at all. As soon as you decide you want to change, the sky is the limit man."

At his side, was his friend and local talk-show host Basheer Jones.

"We come from exactly where you come from,? Jones said. ?We come from St Clair; we come from 30th, and we come from Hough and Euclid and Buckeye.?

?As a community, we need you, we are starving for you. Starving man," Jones said.

"As the 2006 Heisman Trophy winner, as an NFL player, please give back to us,? Smith begged. ?Please give back to Cleveland."