Johnathan Cyprien to host charity softball game at FIU June 26

By Joel Delgado ’12 MS ’17 

Jacksonville Jaguars safety and FIU football alumnus Johnathan Cyprien is returning to campus, and he’s bringing some familiar faces with him.

Cyprien, who played at FIU from 2009 to 2012 and will be playing in his third NFL season this fall, will host the Celebrities vs. Servicemen Charity Softball Game at Modesto A. Maidique Campus June 26. The event will begin at 6 p.m. at FIU Baseball Stadium.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the CypSquad At-Risk Youth Foundation, launched by Cyprien in May to help children in low-income neighborhoods, and the Feed Our Blocks Foundation.

Some of the special guests who will join Cyprien for the event include notable FIU alumni, current NFL players, entertainers and more. Some of the notable names include former FIU football standout T.Y. Hilton and NFL quarterbacks Blake Bortles and Teddy Bridgewater. The full roster of special guests is listed below.

Cyprien and his team of celebrity guests will face local police and firefighters in a friendly softball game, which is sponsoring approximately 200 children from low-income neighborhoods in South Florida.

While in Jacksonville, Cyprien participated in a similar event with the Jaguars that inspired him to do the same in Miami.

“I always knew I wanted to do something to help my community and communities all over,” Cyprien said. “I wanted this to be the first event.”

Cyprien’s desire to start a foundation that helps students in at-risk neighborhoods is based on his own experiences growing up and the experiences many of his fellow athletes, who had to overcome difficult circumstances in order to make it to college or the NFL.

The foundation aims to give children in these neighborhoods opportunities to get plugged into local sports teams and summer programs while providing them with the resources necessary to succeed both in and out of the classroom.

“They always say the best athlete in the neighborhood usually never makes it out. In my profession, there are a lot of people who beat the odds,” Cyprien said. “This foundation is meant mostly for those kids who are put in bad situations where there is not much help for them. I want to help give them an outlet where they can make good decisions.”

Attendees will get to enjoy autograph sessions with the celerity guests in attendance and sign up for raffles to win various prizes. Pre-game tickets are available for $10 each and FIU students can get a discount with a valid student ID.

Fore more information or to purchase tickets, go to CypSquadTickets.com or call (305) 502-2002.

SPECIAL GUESTS

• Isame Faciane
• Ice “Billion” Berg
• Antrel Rolle
• Bryant McKinnie
• Teddy Bridgewater
• Kenny Phillips
• Kemal Ishmael
• Tourek Williams
• Demarcus Van Dyke
• T.Y. Hilton
• Antwan Barnes
• Garrett Wittels
• Louis Delmas
• EJ Biggers
• Jeff Luc
• Anthony Gaitor
• Blake Bortles
• Kayvon Webster