Zantavious Graham came to the Twin Cities from a small town in Georgia to play football at Concordia University St. Paul. Four years later he has a college degree, a published book, and a growing wellness community reaching hundreds of people across Minneapolis. None of it was part of the original plan.

Graham joins MSR Digital Editor Aaliyah Demry on MSR On the Radar to talk about FRM, Forever Remain Motivated, the wellness community he founded, what drove him to build it, and why he believes community is the most important thing missing from people’s lives right now.

He shares the story behind FRM’s name, born from a near-violent encounter before college, how a single flyer during finals week grew into a viral run club and eventually healing circles, group therapy access and a 100-backpack giveaway for neighborhood youth. Graham also opens up about stepping away from football after losing his grandmother, becoming vegetarian, the challenge of staying mission-focused as FRM grows, and his vision for bridging the gap between Black elders and young people.

Watch the full conversation for an honest look at what it takes to build community from the ground up.

Visit Our Website

Home – updated

Read more stories by our team
https://defendernetwork.com/category/news/opinion/

Sign-up for the Top 5 newsletter

Defender Newsletters

Donate/ Support Our Work

Contribute to the Defender Network

Dr. Gary F. Green II grew up in a football family in San Antonio, Texas, the namesake son of Gary Green Sr., who played for years in the NFL. He was recruited to play at the University of Kansas, saw the inside of the recruiting apparatus at major programs across the country, and eventually traded the field for the seminary, the classroom, and now a published book that reframes everything most people think they know about Black athleticism.

Green joins host Charles Hallman on Blacklight on Sports to discuss his book, “Playing the Game: Embodied Brilliance Beyond the Moral Limits of Race and Sport,” his work as a faculty member at United Theological Seminary, and why he believes Black athletes have always been geniuses that the dominant culture simply refused to name as such.

Green structures the book around three athletes, each representing a different layer of how white supremacy inscribes itself on Black male bodies, and how those athletes disrupted that inscription through their brilliance: Marshawn Lynch and the criminalization of Black men in public, Steph Curry and the economic logic of athletic evaluation, and Deion Sanders and the psychospiritual refusal to shrink. Green also previews an upcoming essay bringing Black women, including Serena Williams, more fully into the conversation, and reflects on his own path from Division I football to pastoral theology.

Watch the full conversation for a framework that will change how you watch sports.

Zantavious Graham came to the Twin Cities from a small town in Georgia to play football at Concordia University St. Paul. Four years later he has a college degree, a published book, and a growing wellness community reaching hundreds of people across Minneapolis. None of it was part of the original plan.

Graham joins MSR Digital Editor Aaliyah Demry on MSR On the Radar to talk about FRM, Forever Remain Motivated, the wellness community he founded, what drove him to build it, and why he believes community is the most important thing missing from people’s lives right now.

He shares the story behind FRM’s name, born from a near-violent encounter before college, how a single flyer during finals week grew into a viral run club and eventually healing circles, group therapy access and a 100-backpack giveaway for neighborhood youth. Graham also opens up about stepping away from football after losing his grandmother, becoming vegetarian, the challenge of staying mission-focused as FRM grows, and his vision for bridging the gap between Black elders and young people.

Watch the full conversation for an honest look at what it takes to build community from the ground up.

Former world boxing champion Devon Alexander is putting fitness in the corner of St. Louis children. Through his foundation, he uses recreational boxing to help young people build strength, confidence and discipline while learning lessons that extend beyond the gym.

Read the full story: https://www.stlamerican.com/online-features/boxing-champ-devon-alexander-puts-fitness-in-kids-corner/ 

✒️ Jihad Hassan Muhammad
📹 Video by Lawrence Bryant

#DevonAlexander #YouthFitness #StLouisYouth #Boxing #stlamerican

Join us TONIGHT for Week 4 of our 8-week podcast & leadership spotlight series! We are charting our future, strengthening our communities, and building our legacy together.

📍 THIS WEEK’S SPOTLIGHT: Mid-Atlantic Section

👤 GUEST:Imam Salahuddin A. Muhammad (Mid-Atlantic Section Convener)

🎯 TOPIC:Strengthening Our Masaajid and Key Institutions

🗓️ Date: Monday, September 28, 2026

⏰ Time: 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM EST

📻 Where to Listen Live:YouTube, Facebook & IWDM Community Radio

“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”

Don’t miss this crucial conversation on institutional growth and community development across the Mid-Atlantic region!

💻 Register online & learn more:www.IWDMcommunity.com or bit.ly/IWDM50forward

🗓️ Save the Date: 2026 Community Development & Leadership Conference | Oct 30 – Nov 1, 2026 | Norfolk, Virginia Beach Area

—

Hashtags:

#BeyondIWDM50 #WeCannotStopNow #ImamWDMohammed #MidAtlanticSection #CommunityDevelopment #Masaajid #Leadership #IWDMCommunity

🎙️ New to streaming or looking to level up? Check out StreamYard and get $10 discount! 😍 https://streamyard.com/pal/d/4571578638008320