Former DT Pressley Making a Difference in the Community

Raleigh, N.C. - To the Wolfpack Nation, DeMario Pressley is known for the legacy he left behind on the football field. To his community, he's known for his passion to make a difference in the lives of those around him.

On October 16, 2016, the Motherless Daughters Foundation recognized Pressley, a Wolfpack defensive lineman from 2004-07, for his outstanding service to his community by honoring him with the Man of Influence Award at their fourth annual gala.

Pressley is dedicated to bettering his community, serving as the CEO of his foundation, PRESS It Forward, the Director of Public Affairs for the Shadow Warrior Foundation, a military focused foundation, and as the Sports Development Director of the Greensboro Eagles, a youth sports organization.

"I love the kids and my community, they are my passion," says Pressley, who earned a Super Bowl ring with the New Orleans Saints in 2010.

This passion was the inspiration for starting his foundation, PRESS It Forward, in 2010. The mission for his foundation is to help serve, support, and build confidence in single parents, and the children who grow up in single parent homes. Growing up without his natural father, Pressley is familiar with the challenges that families face in this circumstance, and has committed himself to helping those families.

Through his foundation, Pressley helped found the Greensboro Eagles, where he serves as the Sports Development Director. Each year, the two organizations jointly host the PRESS It Forward Gridiron Challenge, an invitational football tournament. The proceeds from each tournament directly benefit families in need.

Pressley also spends much of his time mentoring teens and young adults, a passion that was developed during his time as a defensive end for the Wolfpack.

"When I got to NC State…I didn't expect the older guys to mentor me on the field. Guys like Mario Williams, Manny Lawson, and Stephen Tulloch, they took the young guys under their wing."

It was through these relationships that Pressley learned the value of devoting time to helping others. "The mentorship that they showed us really impacted me and the way I began to think."
He attributes much of his success to the mentorship he received, and hopes to have that same impact on the children in his community as well.

"It was an honor to receive the Man of Influence Award. I was shocked when they called my name. Being from Greensboro, growing up in the part of the city I did, going to NC State really made an impact on how my community viewed me. They really began to look up to me. Seeing the impact that mentorship had on me, pushed me to work toward having that impact on my community as well."

by Victoria McBryde

Former DT Pressley Making a Difference in the Community

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