Purdue's Hudson Card, David Jenkins Jr. use platform to inspire youth
LAFAYETTE − Before David Jenkins Jr. was a 3-point marksman for the Purdue Boilermakers, he was a youngster at the Rotary Boys & Girls Club in Seattle, Washington and later in Tacoma.
There, Jenkins Jr. got to meet mentors who delivered positive, and to some, life-altering messages.
He never forgot those moments and on Wednesday afternoon, Jenkins Jr. had an opportunity to return the favor.
Jenkins Jr., who recently exhausted his college basketball eligibility, and Purdue quarterback Hudson Card spoke to children at the Lyn Treece Boys & Girls Club as part of the organization's focus on physical education and healthy lifestyle push.
"I literally remember the exact same thing we're doing right now and what happened to me," Jenkins Jr. said. "It just meant everything to me seeing someone in front of me who was at a high level whether that was a sport or any type of successful job, it just meant everything to me. That was something I could look up to going forward."
Card came to Purdue this semester as a transfer from Texas. Before his first visit to Purdue's campus, Card had never been to Indiana.
He's quickly inundating himself in the community
"I'm new here. Being able to connect with the younger kids around here is something that is important to me," Card said. "As long as I can give back and maybe impact one or two of them or maybe more, that's our goal."
Card and Jenkins both spoke to a group of about 30 kids before signing autographs and taking photos.
Jenkins hopes the experiences Wednesday provided lends itself to the future when those children are adults.
"It is about creating a trend of generations and doing the same thing for the next up and coming people," Jenkins said. "I just feel like installing this into their mind so they do it for the next upcoming kids who come to the Boys & Girls Club."
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @samueltking.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Purdue's Hudson Card, David Jenkins Jr. use platform to inspire youth
