There's a quote Patriots defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. has ingrained in his memory since his childhood in Carrollton, Texas.
"Service is the price you pay for your time here on Earth."
Wise Jr.'s father, Deatrich Wise Sr. uttered the words to his three sons often, becoming the family's unofficial "mission statement" to carry on their shoulders as they journey through life. It was an expectation, Wise Jr. said, that he and his brothers make everywhere they go a better place, and give back to people in need.
Wise Jr.'s mother, Sheila, had a big hand in showing him servitude as well, serving in the U.S. Army for 22 years as a military nurse. A spiritual woman, Wise Jr. remembers, who taught them the value of inspiration.
"Sometimes you're the only Bible people see," Mrs. Wise would say to her children. She was always adamant the Wise brothers led a life of Christ and servitude by example, so others may be inspired by how you walk through life.
Two loving parents planted the seed for Wise Jr. so he could one day walk the walk his parents always preached about. After spending his childhood participating in community toy drives and serving in soup kitchens, Wise Jr. had the means to honor the Wise family name by representing the family's number one purpose – to serve.
In 2018, Wise Jr. started the Wise Up Foundation aiming to PUSH – an acronym the family came up with for its mission to provide educational resources and opportunities, unite communities, support underserved student-athletes, and honor America's veterans.
"It was a no-brainer, we've been doing this since we were kids," said Wise Jr. "All of this is because of my family."
Six years, and six programs later, the Wise family is knee deep in community service. Aside from their Hot Meals for Vets program, the Wise Up Foundation targets a majority of their work towards laying a foundation for the next generation.
The annual Deatrich Wise Jr. Block Party they host at the Josh Kraft Mattapan Teen Center, complete with a free farmers market, and the Bridge to Trades program are ways Wise Family's way to uplift Boston-area youth outside of football.
"Not every student is a student athlete," said Wise Jr.
Underserved youth should have the same opportunities for success as their peers, motivating Wise Jr. and his family to provide a way for them to challenge stereotypes in the workforce and expost them to alternative career paths in trades that are high in demand.
"What better way to fill the gaps than with the youth," said Wise Jr. "If we're able to bring opportunities to the youth, I believe opportunities build expansion."
The Wise Up Foundation takes that same approach to its football mentorship, dedicating its programing in The Wise Big Man Camp to unsigned seniors, underserved athletes and especially the lineman in the trenches.
"Big men need love too," said Wise Jr. Most camps are targeted towards skilled positions like quarterback and wide receiver. Wise had first hand experience in being overlooked as a defensive lineman and wanted to give young men like himself was the roadmap.
In its sixth year, the Big Man Camp has taken over Texas as the number one big man camp in the state and one of the best in the country – a point of pride for Wise Jr. but it was nothing he didn't expect. The non-profit they built will always strive to be the greatest resource in the communities it resides in, and aim to accomplish one common goal.
"Giving each underdog or underserved person a platform to shine, to grow and to be seen," said Wise Jr," who will represent Wise Up Foundation's again this year for the My Cause My Cleats initiative.
As they plan and execute their programs, they do so as a family. At football camps, serving meals for veterans, and hosting block parties, each has their own place in the community. But Wise knows that no matter what, he'll look up, and his parents and brothers will be right there with him.
"It's a euphoric feeling that we're all doing this together," said Wise Jr. "We're doing exactly what my parents said when we were young, just try to make the world a better place."
