In high school I always heard about this kid named 'Big O' but it wasn't until he was playing for the Miami Hurricanes that a mutual friend introduced us. Now that's over a decade ago, but every time I hear his name I am impressed by another selfless and amazing story.
Big O is a big boy standing 6 feet and 7 inches above the ground and weighing 320lbs. This gentle giant is one of my favourite people in the world and I was so glad when the stars aligned and he became a part of our It List California adventure. Not only is Big O a kid from Toronto that is now a NFL star, he's also a smart businessman.
Being a part of Scarborough Football Association since he was a water boy his latest acquisition makes him the new owner of that very same association. Talk about living out your dreams, well now he is in the business of incubating others. When I asked him why he invested so much money in this project his answer is very simple. Orlando Franklin wants the kids to have a fair shot at greatness and the indoor training facility he is building will have everything the student-athlete needs.
One thing I should mention is if you are a sun seeker like me, you will get plenty of it in Sun Diego…oops San Diego. San Diego has so much to offer if you want to enjoy the California sun. After we went for a walk to a local coffee shop, Chloe and I definitely got some good pictures on the beach and when the sun went away I snuck off by myself to check out a Speak Easy.
Our trip to San Diego to meet Orlando and his new wife was a lot of fun. We hung out in their home, rode in his Bentley and went for some really hot wings at their favourite local spot. They even invited us for a BBQ at their Toronto home, definitely looking forward to that.
Orlando is in his 7th season in the NFL and moving to Los Angeles is exciting for both him and his wife. We all left with our own Chargers hats and Chloe and I each got an autographed game jersey, yes he actually gave us jerseys from a real game.