Detroit Lions linebacker Trevor Bates, 25, was once a kid growing up with a dad in prison. On Saturday, he stepped onto a field — in a park on Detroit's east side — to help some kids in similar circumstances.
Boys and girls age 7 to 14 ran drills, threw passes and got mentoring from professional athletes at Balduck Park through the Angel Tree Sports Clinic run by Prison Fellowship, a Christian nonprofit supporting prisoners, former prisoners and their families. That same nonprofit once helped Bates' family, making it possible for his dad to send presents through its Angel Tree Christmas Program.