Big 22 Finalist: WR Ben Black uses platform to give back to community

CHARLOTTE — If you go to a high school football game, you may see players putting their own fashionable spin on their uniforms -- adding cool socks, gloves, or bracelets.

At Mallard Creek High School, the right to wear these accessories has to be earned. This year’s senior class, including Big 22 Finalist Ben Black, earned theirs through an act of service that even surprised their head coach.

“They just told me they needed their jerseys, so I didn’t know exactly what was going down or what they were doing,” said coach Kennedy Tinsley.

The Mallard Creek players put their jerseys on and headed Uptown to pass out food and water to men and women struggling with homelessness.

Ben Black is one of the leaders of the team. He’s a star wide receiver headed to Rutgers next season. He felt the call to give back and use his platform to make a positive impact.

“I was just smiling the whole time because it just felt good doing that,” he said. “I never did something like, that big, to impact people before, but that felt great.”

>> In the video at the top of the page, Black and his coach talk about the impacts of their roles on and off the field.

You can vote for the five finalists below, or by clicking here.

>> If you can’t see the voting module below, please refresh the page or disable your ad blocker.

(WATCH BELOW: Big 22: Salisbury WR Deuce Walker)

Big 22: Salisbury WR Deuce Walker

©2023 Cox Media Group